Chimpanzee culture

Human behavioural patterns have some genetic origins, but most, if not all, of them are culturally modified after birth. This also seems to be the case for wild chimpanzees. This finding is one of my most important conclusions after 45 years of research. Humans are not unique in being cultural. Here I sketch out how I reached this conclusion.

I have shown examples of local differences in behavioural patterns in each chapter, ranging across diet, feeding techniques, tools, gestural and vocal communication. Now I give a glimpse of culture in general and then introduce examples of innovation and their spread; that is, fashions and traditions of behavioural patterns and social learning processes, and finally I discuss comparisons with human cultures.