Watch: Wild chimpanzees share boozy fruit
Credit: University of Exeter/Bowland et al.
Wild chimpanzees have been pictured eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol for the first time.
Researchers set up cameras in the Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, recording footage of the chimps sharing fermented African breadfruit.
The scientists said the findings raised questions about whether chimps deliberately sought out alcohol. They pointed out that it may indicate an early form of 'feasting', indicating that socialising over food may have ancient origins.
'For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation,' said Anna Bowland, of the University of Exeter.
'We also know that sharing alcohol – including through traditions such as feasting – helps to form and strengthen social bonds. So, now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits, the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?'
The researchers used motion-activated cameras that filmed chimps sharing fermented fruit on 10 separate occasions. The fruit shared by the animals was tested for alcohol content, and the highest level found was the equivalent of 0.61 per cent strength.
The researchers say it may be the tip of the iceberg because 60 to 85 per cent of chimps' diet is fruit – so low levels of alcohol in various foods could add up to significant consumption.
They stressed that the chimps were unlikely to get drunk, because this would not improve their survival chances, adding that the impact of alcohol on chimps' metabolism was unknown.
But a recent discovery of a molecular adaptation that greatly increased ethanol metabolism in the common ancestor of African apes suggests eating fermented fruits may have ancient origins in species including humans and chimps.
'Chimps don't share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important,' said Dr Kimberley Hockings, also from the University of Exeter.
'We need to find out more about whether they deliberately seek out ethanolic fruits and how they metabolise it, but this behaviour could be the early evolutionary stages of 'feasting'. If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history.'
The research, called Wild Chimpanzees Share Fermented Fruits, was published in the journal Current Biology.
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