One of the perennially raging debates in modern society has to do with the origin of male and female behavioral differences: Why are girls more verbal and more attentive to facial expressions? Why do boys like to compete in larger social groups and do risky things? Or as a parent might put it: Why is my daughter playing with dolls when she could be throwing pretend rockets? Did my son really just chew his peanut butter sandwich into the shape of a gun?
A study of young chimpanzees living in the wild might explain the biological reason why infant girls tend to learn faster than infant boys. Primatologists have discovered distinct sex differences in the ability of young male and female chimps to acquire new skills "taught" by their mothers. The scientists believe these gender differences in man's closest living relative could have a common evolutionary root with the differences seen in the speed of intellectual development of infant boys and girls. Educationalists researching how young children learn complex skills should study the findings and take gender differences into account, said Professor Elizabeth Lonsdorf, head of field conservation at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Professor Lonsdorf and her colleagues Lynn Eberly and Anne Pusey of the University of Minnesota believe that the gender differences in learning behaviour seen in young chimps and children could date back to when apes and humans last shared a common ancestor, about six million years ago.
Low-ranking "new girl" chimpanzees seek out other gal pals with similar status, finds a new study of social relationships in the wild apes. The study is available online and is scheduled to appear in the July issue of the journal Animal Behaviour. Unlike most primates, female chimps are loners compared to males. Male chimpanzees stay with the group they were born into their entire lives, forging strong social bonds with other males. Many females, on the other hand, leave their families behind and strike out on their own to join new groups.
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