You probably thought that the tactical use of high ground in war situations was considered exclusive to humans. Research from the University of Cambridge says no. Chimpanzees know human war tactics and apply them.
The chimpanzee shares 96% of the genetic code with humans. It is the closest living relative to man. Research from the University of Cambridge in West Africa has uncovered something about our closest evolutionary relatives. They use a warfare tactic that has not been seen before beyond humans. They use high ground to reconnoiter rival groups. They do so before entering enemy territory at times when the risk of confrontation is low. It is one of the oldest human military strategies.
chimpanzees spies
“Tactical warfare is considered a driver of human evolution,” says Sylvain Lemoine. He is a biological anthropologist at the University of Cambridge. He is also lead author of the study published in the journal PLOS Biology.
The study lasted three years. They observed two neighboring groups of chimpanzees in the forests of the Ivory Coast in West Africa. They followed him as they toured their respective territories. Including an overlapping border area where skirmishes occasionally occurred. What happened when they were up in the border hills? They stopped eating or searching for food noisily. They remained silent, allowing them to hear the distant sounds of the rival groups.
What was observed suggests that highland chimpanzees gauge the distance of rivals. They act accordingly to carry out raids, avoiding costly fights. After reconnaissance at the top of a hill, the probability of advancing into enemy territory was measured. It increased by 40% when rivals were 500 meters away. He did it at 50% when the rivals were 1,000 meters away. And 60% when the rivals were at 3,000 meters.
Protowar
Chimpanzees know war tactics. «Exploiting the landscape for territorial control is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. These are vestiges of small-scale protowar that probably existed in prehistoric populations. When we were hunter-gatherers,” added Sylvain Lemoine. Let’s hope it’s not the beginning of a post-apocalyptic movie.
