Abstract
An old female, named Peony, spends her days with other chimpanzees in a large outdoor enclosure near Atlanta, Georgia (United States). On bad days, when her arthritis is acting up, she has great trouble walking and climbing. But other females help her out. For example, Peony is huffing and puffing to get up into the climbing frame in which several chimpanzees have gathered for a grooming session. An unrelated younger female moves behind her, places both hands on her ample behind, and pushes her up with quite a bit of effort, until Peony joins the rest.
Highlights
An old female, named Peony, spends her days with other chimpanzees in a large outdoor enclosure near Atlanta, Georgia (United States)
Why do animals care about each other: should not they just care about themselves? Modern textbooks offer the impression that the altruism question has been resolved, but this applies only to one half of it—the part about evolutionary origin
Just as sex cannot be motivated by unforeseen consequences, altruistic behavior cannot be motivated by unforeseen pay-offs
Summary
An old female, named Peony, spends her days with other chimpanzees in a large outdoor enclosure near Atlanta, Georgia (United States). Altruistic tendencies are thought to have evolved to help either kin or those willing and capable of returning the favor. Though, the benefits of altruistic behavior occur so distantly in time—if they occur at all—that it will be hard or impossible for animals to connect them with the original act.
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