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Hipster chimps are SLAVES to the latest social trends

Chimp see, chimp do, say simian-studying boffins

Boffins have observed the "incredibly rare" moment that new forms of behaviour spread around a community of chimps.

Just like the slavishly modish sub-species of humanity known as hipsters, chimps are known to copy each other's actions.

Scientists at the University of St Andrews spotted the sharing of ideas among the Sonso simian community in Uganda’s Budongo Forest.

Chimps often drink using a technique called "leaf-sponging", which involves chewing and folding a leaf before dipping it in water.

During a six day period of observation, scientists noticed an innovative 29-year-old alpha male using a sponge made of moss instead, while a dominant female looked on.

A total of seven chimps then went to the waterhole and copied the alpha male, as well as reusing sponges left during previous drinking sessions.

These two forms of behaviour had never been seen before in the community.

Dr Catherine Hobaiter, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of St Andrews, said: “Researchers have been fascinated for decades by the differences in behaviour between chimpanzee communities; some use tools, some don’t, some use different tools for the same job.

"These behaviours have been described as ‘cultural’, which in human terms would mean they spread when one individual learns from another; but in most cases they’re long established and it’s hard to know how they originally spread within a group.

“We were incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time to document the appearance and spread of two novel tool-use behaviours, something that is extraordinarily rare in the wild.”

The research suggests that forms of chimp behaviour are socially learned, just like in human society.

Pretty soon the primates will probably be growing long beards, drinking craft beer and sending thousands of banal tweets a day. Some females may even start moaning about the patriarchy.

Such are the perils of life spent in a group. ®

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