When a person is hurt by another, the best remedy is often a friend. Researchers have shown that the same holds true for chimpanzees.
If one chimp bites or hits another, a friend might come and hug or kiss the hurt chimp. That helps to reduce the hurt chimp’s stress.
The researchers said that chimps usually only kiss or hug each other after one of the chimps is hurt. To kiss, a chimp places its open mouth against the top of the other chimp’s head or its back. To hug, a chimp wraps one or both of its arms around the other.
PHOTO: AFP
A scientist who didn’t take part in the study said the chimps behaved a lot like young children. If young kids see an upset family member, they often go to hug him or her.
Chimps are the closest genetic relatives to people.
The researchers said that monkeys don’t console each other like chimps. They said there’s evidence that large-brained birds and dogs console each other. But they have no proof that it leads to lower stress levels.
To conduct the study, the researchers observed a group of chimps at the Chester Zoo in England from January 2005 to September 2006.
(STAFF WRITER, WITH AP)
當一個人感到傷心時,朋友通常是最佳治療良方;研究人員發現,這在黑猩猩身上也適用。
如果一隻黑猩猩咬了或攻擊了另一隻黑猩猩,那麼朋友可能會去抱抱或親親那隻受傷的黑猩猩,那有助於減緩受傷黑猩猩的壓力。
研究人員說,黑猩猩通常只有在某隻黑猩猩受傷時才會相互擁抱或親吻。黑猩猩親吻的方式是張大嘴巴貼近另一隻黑猩猩的頭或背,而牠們擁抱的方式則是用單臂或雙臂環抱對方。
一位未參與這項研究的學者表示,黑猩猩的行為和幼童很像;幼兒看到家人心情不好時,常會跑去抱抱他�她。
黑猩猩是和人類基因最接近的動物。
研究人員說,猴子不像黑猩猩一樣會安慰同伴。他們也表示,有證據顯示腦容量較大的鳥類和狗也會安慰同類,但並沒有證據可以證明這類行為能減輕被安慰者的壓力層次。
為了進行這項研究,研究團隊在二OO五年一月至二OO六年九月間,對英國徹斯特動物園內一群黑猩猩進行觀察。(美聯社�翻譯:袁星塵)
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