Abstract
The study of non-human primate thanatology has expanded dramatically in recent years as scientists seek to understand the evolutionary roots of human death concepts and practices. However, observations of how conspecifics respond to dead individuals are rare and highly variable. Mothers of several species of primate have been reported to carry and continue to interact with dead infants. Such interactions have been proposed to be related to maternal condition, attachment, environmental conditions or reflect a lack of awareness that the infant has died. Here, we tested these hypotheses using a dataset of cases of infant corpse carrying by chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania (n = 33), the largest dataset of such cases in chimpanzees. We found that mothers carried infant corpses at high rates, despite behavioural evidence that they recognize that death has occurred. Median duration of carriage was 1.83 days (interquartile range = 1.03–3.59). Using an information theoretic approach, we found no support for any of the leading hypotheses for duration of continued carriage. We interpret these data in the context of recent discussions regarding what non-human primates understand about death.
Highlights
We found that mothers carried infant corpses at high rates, despite behavioural evidence that they recognize that death has occurred
We identified 93 cases of an infant being born into the population but not surviving to 5 years of age; an infant corpse was directly observed in 42 cases
We presented the largest systematic and quantitative study of variation in infant corpse carrying in wild chimpanzees
Summary
Using an information theoretic approach, we found no support for any of the leading hypotheses for duration of continued carriage We interpret these data in the context of recent discussions regarding what non-human primates understand about death. Over the past several decades, the field of comparative thanatology has expanded dramatically and reports of non-human responses to death have begun to accumulate across taxa For some species, these observations suggest an absence or a severely limited understanding of death. In a review of marine mammal cases, Reggente et al [6] differentiate between non-cetaceans, which limit their behaviour to protecting the corpse from external attacks over a short period of time, and cetaceans, who show a longer period of post-mortem interactions and more nurturing behaviours, such as carrying and activities related to assisting with breathing These differences in the degree of post-mortem interactions correspond to differences in degree of maternal investment. We compiled the largest existing dataset of chimpanzee responses to infant corpses to determine carrying rates and examine four of the most commonly discussed hypotheses for continued interaction with deceased individuals
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