A groundbreaking study has revealed that chimpanzees, one of humans’ closest living relatives, exhibit social drinking behaviors by sharing fermented fruit. Together, this new discovery provides powerful evidence. It indicates the social dimensions of drinking go far back on the ape family tree. The study brings new attention to the potential for this behavior to reveal more about the origins of human feasting, as well as social drinking.
Researchers filmed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) gorging on naturally fermenting fruit from African breadfruit trees (Treculia africana) in the Cantanhez National Park, located in Guinea-Bissau. The research documented these chimpanzees indulging in alcohol-filled fruit on ten separate instances. Amazingly, 90% of the fruit that they distributed had alcohol in it! This surprising discovery sheds new light on a surprising dietary preference among these primates. They can have up to 85% fruit in their diet!
Sharing food freely is not common behavior in chimpanzees. When they do, it appears to be quite key behavior that they share fermented fruit. Kimberley Hockings, a lead researcher on this recent study, explained why this specific behavior is so vital, saying,
“Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important.” – Kimberley Hockings
Surprising finding though, was that chimpanzees drank high-alcohol content, fermented fruit to the maximum. It ferments all the way down to a remarkable 0.61% ABV (alcohol by volume). To put that into context, a regular beer is about 5% ABV. Even with this reduced alcohol content, chimpanzees can still get massive doses of alcohol if they eat a large number of rotten fruits.
This study paints an interesting social portrait of chimp behavior and the use of alcohol. It proposes that these long-lost behaviors might have influenced the way humans drink today. Our social drinking habits, the findings imply, might be the modern manifestation of an ancestral predisposition. We probably inherited this trait from our common ancestor with the primates.
Historically, humans have participated in the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages for at least 9000 years. Scientists have been investigating connections between chimpanzee social behaviors and human social drinking. This line of inquiry might illuminate the evolutionary heritage of alcohol use among hominins.
The journal Current Biology published the findings on April 21, 2022. This is an extraordinary addition to anthropological and primatological literature. Scientists are studying the behavior of chimpanzees to better understand our evolutionary history. This new study is a watershed moment that reveals our shared bond with their kind.
