Are chimpanzees altruistic?

Part of possessing the Human Spark might be the inclination toward altruism – helping others even when there’s no benefit to yourself, and maybe even a cost. Obviously human beings have a general capacity to help; think of volunteers rushing to the aftermath of a natural disaster or a pedestrian helping an elderly lady across the street. But is this an impulse we share with other animals? A new study suggests that chimpanzees do help out other chimps – but are much more likely to help if the chimp in need basically asks for it.

In the experiment, chimps were separated in side-by-side clear booths. The researchers wanted to see if the animals would transfer a necessary tool from one to the other – they provided a stick to reel in a juice box and a straw to drink from it. Sometimes chimps spontaneously passed the tool to their partners. But if the recipient actively solicited help by reaching into its partner’s booth or clapping its hands, the giver was more likely to help. The social relationship between the two chimps did affect whether or not help was offered.

Are you surprised to learn that chimps communicate in this way? What do you think the difference is between this study’s observations and the voluntary altruism of human beings?

More information:

• PLoS One article: “Chimpanzees Help Each Other upon Request“

• New Scientist video: “Chimps happy to help – you just have to ask“

• Science Daily article: “Chimpanzees Help Each Other On Request But Not Voluntarily“

When you see “evolution” and “religion” in the same headline, certain assumptions about the following article might jump to mind. But this recent study published in Science sets aside the religious critique of evolution and examines how religion itself may be a part of human evolution.

Remember that evolution’s driving force is each individual’s biological urge to pass on his or her own genes. Life is a competitive enterprise wherein everyone strives to be the most successful breeder around. So some scientists have wondered: why do we find altruism and cooperation in human populations? Looking at the question from a purely evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense to help those who share your genes, but what about others in society you have nothing in common with, let alone a family link? They’re the competition! Psychologists Ara Norenzayan and Azim Shariff suggest that religion might be one explanation for why altruism persists in large social groups.

In The Human Spark, we focus a lot on the sociality of human beings, especially in comparison to our predecessors. Take a look at these articles to learn a bit more about how a cultural process such as religion can interact with evolution.

• “Religion Makes People Helpful and Generous — Under Certain Conditions” – ScienceDaily
• “Opiate of the masses — and evolutionary aid” – The Toronto Star
• “Religious folks behave better — with a catch” – The Vancouver Sun