Bonobos have enjoyed a make-love-not-war image, thanks to their highly promiscuous sexual behavior and the fact that bonobo females have higher social status than males. Now it’s time to revise the reputation that they are the peaceful hippie cousins of the more violent chimpanzees.

In an article in the journal Current Biology researchers describe directly observing bonobos hunting not just small forest creatures but other primates as well. This discovery – or rather, this proof of what has been suspected for a while – could change the way scientists think about the evolution of male dominance and aggression.

Check out these articles for more info:

• Science Daily: Despite ‘Peacenik’ Reputation, Bonobos Hunt And Eat Other Primates, Too
• Wired Science Blog: Sex-Crazed Apes Feast on Killing, Too
• Reuters: Hippie apes make war as well as love, study finds

The bonobo Nyota points to symbols on the lexigram board to communicate with humans. Great Ape Trust of Iowa photo.

Many researchers point to language as a clear dividing line between humans and our closest living relatives, the apes. The Great Ape Trust is dedicated to exploring the language skills of bonobos and orangutans.

This video from Slate presents a reporter’s visit to the Trust and his interactions with the apes and the lexigram boards they use to communicate.

Watch the video.

Visit The Great Ape Trust Web site to learn more.