Comparison of the Three Chimpanzees

The relationship between apes and human holds a unique fascination since time in memorial. Comparative anatomy conducted in the mid-1800s on apes and humans, through extensive dissections concluded without a doubt that a close relationship existed between humans and chimpanzees than to any other mammal. This was a research conducted by Thomas Henry Huxley. However, most people could not believe that a relationship existed between them and these uncultured and monstrous creatures. This can be explained by the decision by the Victorian public to have this revelation kept a secret, this was indeed true. So is there indeed any relationship between apes and humans? This can be explained by a series of comparison and contrast tests and researches conducted. In this paper, it can be shown that the apes and humans do share a fascinating history since two million years ago.

Interestingly, the three chimpanzees have common ways of relaxation and reasons as to why they avoid conflict and result to reconciliation. This is because the ape population is a steady one hence survival is paramount, and there is a need to avoid fights that could result to death. Studies conducted for more than 20 years take two entirely different approaches to solve conflict and reduce conflict. Common chimpanzees resort to grooming or threat while bonobos resort to exclusively sex. Humans have an almost similar way as the two for solving crimes, in that they use threat displays and body language to solve conflicts.

Common chimpanzees use grooming as a way of relaxing where they groom each other. This reduces the stress hormone level, creating friendship and getting rid of parasites. However, conflicts tend to be inevitable due to scarce access to food and mates resulting to threat displays. This behaviour of common chimpanzees is an ancient one shared with gorillas.

They adopt this by a bipedal stance, and erect the back and shoulder hair then charging toward the enemy on two legs then faster by quadrupedal, it then slaps and bites but usually avoid causing any serious injury. In other instances, it can shake trees to show its anger and rarely does this method resort to physical, violent confrontation leading to injury instead they make one animal step down to solve the conflict. Intermediaries help in reconciling the parties so as to maintain excellent relations in the future.

Unlike common chimpanzees, the bonobo uses a different tactic to solve aggression i.e. extensive sexual contact to solve conflicts. Studies conducted in the 1980s and 1990s showed these apes having much sex. However, the bonobo use grooming for relaxation and fostering of social bonds like common chimpanzees, but if this grooming resulted to an arousal they ended up in sexual contact. Bonobos engage in sex at different age and on both sexes to reduce confrontations hence, they are more peaceful than common chimpanzees. This may have caused separation of the common chimpanzees and bonobos about 2 million years ago.

The human also have their own way of solving conflict or relaxation, which may be characterized by both methods of the two chimpanzees. They use threat displays to caution destructive behaviour in children through facial expressions and gestures. This reduces chances of conflict as one retreat to cause conflict once threatened. They also result to grooming for relaxation and most often, this leads to sexual contact, but in time their way of solving conflict advances by attending classes of anger management and ways of addressing conflicts like awarding if one remains calm.

In conclusion, threat display is an ancient mode of solving crimes for ancestors. Close relationship exists between the two kinds of chimpanzees and the humans through behaviour traits and cultural traits.