A NEW STUDY SUGGEST THAT HUMANS AND CHIMPANZEES MAY BOTH LIKE SOCIAL DRINKING
Among the great apes, chimpanzees are our closest genetic relatives. We share many traits with them, including the ability to utilise tools, social structures, and even empathy. But according to a recent study by experts from the University of Exeter, humanity and chimpanzees have another startling similarity: we both can drink alcohol.
Researchers were able to record ten separate instances of wild chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau's Cantanhez National Park consuming and sharing naturally fermented Treculia africana fruit, commonly referred to as African breadfruit, that contained alcohol. This unique video offers us an intriguing look at how humans may have developed a relationship with alcohol and how chimps may be utilising it to form bonds and connections with one another.
Chimpanzees gathered around African breadfruit trees were captured on motion-activated cameras merrily eating the fruit and passing it around like they were sharing a bottle of wine at a party. Subsequent analysis showed that the fruit has up to 0.61% ABV (alcohol by volume) of ethanol, the same alcohol present in wine and beer. Given that fruit makes up 60% to 85% of a chimpanzee's diet, even if that is a small amount in comparison to what humans consume, it can build up over time.
Additionally, the video showed that 90% of the more valuable, shared fruit was more fermented than the 10% that was just ripe, which was less desirable. Intriguingly, the chimpanzees appeared to prefer sharing the "boozy" experience with their group members rather than keeping the tastiest fruit for themselves, which implies that they could like the fruit that has been infused with alcohol.
“Given the widespread presence of fermented fruits in nature, the feeding and sharing of fermented foods is likely to extend across great ape populations, as multiple species of African great apes have been recorded sharing the fruits of T. africana,” the researchers explain in the report. “Sharing itself is suggested to play a key role in social bonding in wild chimpanzees. Much like grooming, alcohol can reduce stress levels and trigger the endorphin system, which may further promote sociality and sharing.”
After eating the fermented fruit, it's unclear if the chimps suffer any obvious side effects; however, likely, they don't become as bleary-eyed as some people do. The chimps may have even evolved a genetic adaptation to digest alcohol similarly to humans, according to the researchers. Regardless of whether the chimps experience a "high" after consuming the fermented fruit, it's important to note that the food source may also provide extra nutritional advantages, such as increased vitamin content, making them worthwhile treats to share.
Given our close evolutionary relationships, this intriguing study provides important insights into human history in addition to illuminating chimpanzee behaviour. According to the study, "social eating and alcohol intake are two fundamental components of feasting behaviour in humans." But is there a common progenitor from whom feeding behaviour originated? Our findings reinforce the notion that human alcohol consumption is not "new," but rather has deep evolutionary roots, and they offer the first proof of ethanolic food sharing and feeding among wild nonhuman great apes.