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In the complex world of primate behavior, young chimpanzees show a unique and bold tendency to take risks. This behavior sets them apart from older chimpanzees and their closest relatives, humans. Observations made in the wilds of Uganda show that chimpanzee toddlers, especially those between two and five years old, are the daredevils of their species. These young apes are much more likely to engage in high-stakes actions than any older chimpanzee. They might free-fall from the high branches of treetops or make wild, uncalculated jumps between unstable branches. The frequency of these dangerous moves drops steadily by about three percent each year once a chimpanzee turns five. These new findings were shared in January in the respected scientific journal iScience. They provide a new way to look at how human and chimpanzee children grow and develop differently.
The research was led by biologist Lauren Sarringhaus. She is a principal investigator at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She suggests that the clear difference in risk-taking between human children and chimpanzee toddlers comes from their different caregiving environments. "If humans scaled back their oversight, our kids would be way more daredevilish," Sarringhaus says. This highlights a capacity for risk-taking in human youth that is often underappreciated if they are left to their own devices. While human children might have an innate desire to be as reckless as their chimp cousins, the chance to act that way is often limited by careful human caregivers. Adults act as a protective shield. They regularly stop activities that could cause broken bones, reducing the physical dangers for human toddlers.
In contrast to the constant supervision in human families, chimpanzee mothers raise their young in a more isolated way. Fathers rarely help with child-rearing. Neither do grandmothers, older siblings, or other troop members. As a result, young chimps rely almost entirely on their mothers for their first five years. However, by age two, young chimpanzees start to venture out on their own. Because their mothers cannot give immediate help when their babies are swinging high in the air or navigating the complex canopy, the young chimps must learn how their environment works through trial, error, and often dangerous falls. Human children, on the other hand, benefit from a network of helpers called "alloparents." This group includes teachers, coaches, and extended family. This larger support system has reduced the time modern children spend unsupervised outside. Some experts call this "helicopter parenting" because parents often hover too closely over their kids.
To measure these differences, Sarringhaus and her team watched more than one hundred chimpanzees. These animals belonged to the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project in Uganda's Kibale National Park. The group ranged in age from two to sixty-five years. The researchers spent many hours watching the apes move through the dense tree canopy. They specifically measured how often each individual lost contact with tree branches. This included falling to a lower branch or leaping across big gaps to reach another. The data showed a startling fact: chimpanzees between ages two and five were three times more likely to take these risks than adult chimpanzees aged fifteen and older. Even adolescents, defined as those aged ten to fourteen, were not exempt from this adventurous spirit. These older young chimps took risks twice as often as the adults.
However, these high-stakes acrobatics in tall trees come with a significant biological tradeoff. Roughly one-third of the chimpanzee population shows signs of past bone fractures, according to broader research. Yet, toddlerhood might paradoxically be the perfect time for such dangerous exploration. Younger chimpanzees, like human toddlers, have bones that are more flexible. Their bodies are also relatively lighter than those of adults. This physical advantage makes them less likely to suffer grave injuries or fatal falls compared to their heavier, more rigid adult relatives. Despite these findings, Sarringhaus clarifies her main goal: "My goal is not for this to lead to parenting advice." She seeks to improve the scientific community's understanding of the natural world, not to dictate human child-rearing strategies.