TV Program Description
Original PBS Broadcast Date: February 13, 2007
With their intelligent gaze, human-like posture, and peaceful
nature, it's no wonder bonobos—one of five great apes,
along with gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and
humans—remind us of ourselves. But while we share a
common hominoid ancestor with bonobos as well as 98 percent of
our DNA, this unique primate has been largely overlooked by
all but a few scientists.
Ironically, within this species, it is the females who
generally have the power, and much of bonobo life revolves
around sex, which may explain why they're seen as nonviolent
creatures. Bonobos live in a region that has been consumed by
war, which threatens their habitat and survival. Can we learn
more about these intriguing, intelligent apes before it's too
late? By interviewing leading experts and traveling into the
field, this program shines a spotlight on the extraordinary
behavior of the endangered bonobo.
Between five and seven million years ago, humans branched off
from their hominoid ancestor and evolved into a separate
species (see
Our Family Tree). Between two and three million years ago, bonobos split off
from their more aggressive cousins, the chimpanzees.
Chimpanzees have been well studied throughout Africa for
decades, with field researchers often comparing their violent
and excitable behavior to the human tendency towards war and
conflict. Wild bonobos, however, are only found within one
remote bend of the Congo River, which is accessible only
through the river's tributaries. Thanks to this inhospitable
location, bonobos remained largely unexamined until the
mid-1970s, when scientists first began to observe the shy
animals tucked away in tree nests amid the Congo rainforest
canopy.
As researchers studied these little-known apes, they
discovered some striking differences between bonobo and
chimpanzee behavior (see
The Bonobo In All of Us). University of Oregon primatologist Frances White began
conducting bonobo field studies in 1983 and discovered that in
bonobo families, females generally rule. While chimps are a
patriarchal species in which males often brutally dominate
females, bonobo females tend to have priority in terms of
feeding and sharing food with each other and with males. In
territorial disputes, the females take the lead to avoid
conflict, using peaceful means rather than fierce aggression.
They also keep the stronger males in check by forming
alliances with other females.
Perhaps the most intriguing and tantalizing bonobo behavior,
however, is widespread sex. Most animals are sexually active
for only a few days each month. But bonobos are receptive to
sex throughout their cycle, even though females can only get
pregnant once every five years. Bonobo sex is not just about
reproduction; it is about bonding, relieving tensions, and
maintaining harmony. Intimacy, this program points out, makes
it hard to stay angry.
The bonobos' peaceful nature also extends to their ability to
be empathic, altruistic, and tolerant. "The Last Great Ape"
reveals young bonobos exhibiting caring behavior toward a peer
who has hurt his hand, and shares the story of a female bonobo
in captivity who tends to an injured bird. Perhaps this
remarkable behavior speaks to our shared past: according to
Frans de Waal of Emory University in Atlanta, who also appears
in the film, genetic research shows a piece of DNA involved in
bonding is found in both humans and bonobos—but is
missing in chimpanzees.
There is much more to learn about the bonobo, but humans may
be losing their chance. In 1998, the Congo plunged into a
years-long civil war, and violence forced the scientists who
had been studying the bonobos out of the jungle. Researchers
despaired that perhaps all of the already dwindling bonobo
population had been killed for bush meat or poached to sell as
pets. In "The Last Great Ape," long-time bonobo observer
Frances White returns to Africa to search for her beloved
bonobos. Will she find the population intact or decimated?
Have the bonobos survived the warring factions and human
encroachment threatening their existence?
Program Transcript
Program Credits
