Environmental variability supports chimpanzee behavioural diversity

Ammie K. Kalan (), Lars Kulik, Mimi Arandjelovic, Christophe Boesch, Fabian Haas, Paula Dieguez, Christopher D. Barratt, Ekwoge E. Abwe, Anthony Agbor, Samuel Angedakin, Floris Aubert, Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin, Emma Bailey, Mattia Bessone, Gregory Brazzola, Valentine Ebua Buh, Rebecca Chancellor, Heather Cohen, Charlotte Coupland, Bryan Curran, Emmanuel Danquah, Tobias Deschner, Dervla Dowd, Manasseh Eno-Nku, J. Michael Fay, Annemarie Goedmakers, Anne-Céline Granjon, Josephine Head, Daniela Hedwig, Veerle Hermans, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Sorrel Jones, Jessica Junker, Parag Kadam, Mohamed Kambi, Ivonne Kienast, Deo Kujirakwinja, Kevin E. Langergraber, Juan Lapuente, Bradley Larson, Kevin C. Lee, Vera Leinert, Manuel Llana, Sergio Marrocoli, Amelia C. Meier, Bethan Morgan, David Morgan, Emily Neil, Sonia Nicholl, Emmanuelle Normand, Lucy Jayne Ormsby, Liliana Pacheco, Alex Piel, Jodie Preece, Martha M. Robbins, Aaron Rundus, Crickette Sanz, Volker Sommer, Fiona Stewart, Nikki Tagg, Claudio Tennie, Virginie Vergnes, Adam Welsh, Erin G. Wessling, Jacob Willie, Roman M. Wittig, Yisa Ginath Yuh, Klaus Zuberbühler and Hjalmar S. Kühl
Additional contact information
Ammie K. Kalan: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Lars Kulik: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Mimi Arandjelovic: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Christophe Boesch: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Fabian Haas: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Paula Dieguez: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Christopher D. Barratt: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Ekwoge E. Abwe: Ebo Forest Research Project
Anthony Agbor: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Samuel Angedakin: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Floris Aubert: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Emma Bailey: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Mattia Bessone: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Gregory Brazzola: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Valentine Ebua Buh: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Rebecca Chancellor: West Chester University, Department of Psychology
Heather Cohen: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Charlotte Coupland: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Bryan Curran: Wildlife Conservation Society
Emmanuel Danquah: Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Tobias Deschner: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Dervla Dowd: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Manasseh Eno-Nku: WWF Cameroon Country Programme Office
J. Michael Fay: Wonga-Wongue Reserve
Annemarie Goedmakers: Chimbo Foundation
Anne-Céline Granjon: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Josephine Head: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Daniela Hedwig: Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University
Veerle Hermans: KMDA, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Kathryn J. Jeffery: University of Stirling
Sorrel Jones: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Jessica Junker: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Parag Kadam: University of Cambridge
Mohamed Kambi: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Ivonne Kienast: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deo Kujirakwinja: Wildlife Conservation Society
Kevin E. Langergraber: Arizona State University
Juan Lapuente: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Bradley Larson: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Kevin C. Lee: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Vera Leinert: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Manuel Llana: Jane Goodall Institute Spain and Senegal, Dindefelo Biological Station, Dindefelo
Sergio Marrocoli: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Amelia C. Meier: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Bethan Morgan: Ebo Forest Research Project
David Morgan: Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo
Emily Neil: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Sonia Nicholl: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Emmanuelle Normand: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Lucy Jayne Ormsby: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Liliana Pacheco: Jane Goodall Institute Spain and Senegal, Dindefelo Biological Station, Dindefelo
Alex Piel: Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building
Jodie Preece: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Martha M. Robbins: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Aaron Rundus: West Chester University, Department of Psychology
Crickette Sanz: Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program
Volker Sommer: University College London, Department of Anthropology
Fiona Stewart: Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building
Nikki Tagg: KMDA, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Claudio Tennie: University of Tübingen
Virginie Vergnes: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Adam Welsh: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Erin G. Wessling: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Jacob Willie: KMDA, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Roman M. Wittig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Yisa Ginath Yuh: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Klaus Zuberbühler: Université de Neuchâtel, Institut de Biologie
Hjalmar S. Kühl: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Large brains and behavioural innovation are positively correlated, species-specific traits, associated with the behavioural flexibility animals need for adapting to seasonal and unpredictable habitats. Similar ecological challenges would have been important drivers throughout human evolution. However, studies examining the influence of environmental variability on within-species behavioural diversity are lacking despite the critical assumption that population diversification precedes genetic divergence and speciation. Here, using a dataset of 144 wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities, we show that chimpanzees exhibit greater behavioural diversity in environments with more variability — in both recent and historical timescales. Notably, distance from Pleistocene forest refugia is associated with the presence of a larger number of behavioural traits, including both tool and non-tool use behaviours. Since more than half of the behaviours investigated are also likely to be cultural, we suggest that environmental variability was a critical evolutionary force promoting the behavioural, as well as cultural diversification of great apes.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18176-3

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