2024-02-16 15:50:05
By Elisa Doré
Published yesterday at 4:47 p.m., Updated yesterday at 4:50 p.m.
We share more than 98% of our DNA with that of the chimpanzee and that of the bonobo, which are therefore our closest phylogenetic neighbors. Patrick Rolands – stock.adobe.com
DECRYPTION – Primatologists report numerous teasing behaviors in four species of great apes in captivity.
Gently teasing a loved one for the simple pleasure of laughing about it is a sign of deep complicity. This behavior can nevertheless sometimes be annoying because it borders on harassment or aggression. In human beings, in general, children and adults alike know perfectly well when these little apparent provocations are simple games. But are we the only ones who understand this? Is being a tease a human trait?
Probably not. Although this behavior requires a very fine level of awareness of self and others, it is clearly not beyond the reach of our closest cousins. German primatologists from the Max Planck Institute and American primatologists, attached to the University of California and the University of Indiana, have in fact documented numerous behaviors of « playful teasing » among the four most emblematic species of great apes (bonobo, chimpanzee, orangutan and gorilla). To do this, they sifted through 75 hours of videos of…
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