Abstract
Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania were discovered to show an expressive gesture using leaves, termed as “leaf-clipping display”. This behavioural signal is directed by an adult male to an estrous female as a possessive behaviour, or by an adolescent male as a courtship display, or by an estrous female to an adolescent male also as a solicitation of copulation. The signal also is used toward human observers as a signal of food-demanding. This behaviour pattern might originate in a displacement tool-making behaviour in conflict situations. The leaf-clipping display has not been observed in any other chimpanzee populations studied, and may probably be one example of the tradition drift in wild chimpanzees.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have