Scientists Confirm that Chimps, Like Humans, Go to War

It's obvious that humans are fundamentally different from every other animal species. It's not so easy, though, to identify the specific traits that make Homo sapiens so special. Scientists realized long ago that other animals make tools, play jokes and even have a sense of justice and altruism — all things we once thought were unique to our species.

Now a paper in the journal Current Biology has added another behavior to the list of what other animals share with us — and this one isn't quite so charming. After years of field observations in Uganda's Kibale National Park, John Mitani of the University of Michigan and several colleagues have concluded that chimps wage war to conquer new territory.


www.time.com...

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


It seems that humans arent the only ones who are fooked up, I recently read an article somewhere about how primates were making spears and using fire... Now we see what there using them for if that article was true... I only wonder if chimps use waterboarding as a method of extracting information.

Now it seems war is a part of Earth and maybe this planet is just doomed for destruction.

Wow thi is on reason ther is no peace on earth. Even the humans die out there will still be war

Hi

Cool huh.

One more reason for us to be less arrogant.
Thanks for posting.

I'd like to introduce you to a thread I've made regarding animal intelligence.
It is called :Humans. Not so special after all ! Intelligence in animals and evolution ?

There are a lot more examples of animal intelligence far greater then we give them credit for.

Really cool. Especially Alex the African gray Parrot is amazing.

Ants also know to go to war in large armies, over territory. In fact they seem to mirror many of humanities less than noble behaviors.

this thread made me think of the lyrics from Right in Two by Tool.

"Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys.
Give them thumbs, they forge a blade,
And where there's one they're bound to divide it right in two.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys.
Give them thumbs, they make a club to beat their brother down.
How they've survived so misguided is a mystery.
Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability
To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here"

I don't believe humans like to "war". I believe certain people, for whatever reason, like violence. But not all people.

And when I say that, I'm not referring to a non-descript "handful" of pacifists that people seem to identify with and then correct themselves, "Fine, not ALL humans like war/fighting. But most of them do."

It is my belief that the reasons wars are fought are not because they are enjoyable, but because they are forced upon us. Other people manipulating us so that we fight their wars for them, not that we want to, but ... you know.

We want to be loyal to our country. Or maybe we want a paycheck to put food in our mouths. Maybe we don't have anything ... and the guys next door do, and we can't see any viable method of turning the situation around, so we go for the basics. Survival of the fittest.

Maybe we have differing beliefs, and we couldn't think of any other way to convey our ideas. So, we decided to smothered the opponent. Believing childishly that he who stands last is the only one worth considering.

-----

This doesn't mean we like to war. It means we've yet to come across a means to solve certain problems without applying brute force. It doesn't mean we're doomed to a cycle. It means that right now, and ever since history can remember, we have yet to evolve enough to get over that primitive hurdle.


War, like imprisonment and capital punishment of sorts is merely a way of saying, "Since I cannot address the matter in any civilized sense, I will inflict injury unto you until the idea you embellish is no longer so rich in your mind. It will be associated with negative consequence, and you will assert that this idea is not a good one merely by association. This does not mean that what I uphold is superior to your belief, or more just; it just means that I have the means to make such suggestions upon your person."



Once we evolve more, assuming we continue to do so, I believe we'll reach a point where the idea of war will just be blatantly retarded to anyone.

[edit on 22-6-2010 by SentientBeyondDesign]

Originally posted by poedxsoldiervet
After years of field observations in Uganda's Kibale National Park, John Mitani of the University of Michigan and several colleagues have concluded that chimps wage war to conquer new territory.
www.time.com...

How appropriate, they must have been observing the chimps in the United States administration from the years of 2000 to 2008.

We are just smarter monkey's who have come up with bigger and better ways in which to kill each other and take territory, we may dress it up as a noble pursuit or fighting for freedom or in the name of religion, but all it really is is monkey's fighting for territory.

religion has established an arrogance in human beings that makes many believe they are divine beings rather than animals. Most religious people can not handle the fact they are nothing but an ape.

Originally posted by SentientBeyondDesign

Survival of the fittest.



Once we evolve more, assuming we continue to do so, I believe we'll reach a point where the idea of war will just be blatantly retarded to anyone.

Survival of the fittest.

Our survival, in and of itself, is actually of little consequence. Our survival increases our `fitness ` only insofar as it increases our chances of reproduction. Natural selection does not care one jot for our comfort, health or happiness .... just our reproductive success .

Another misunderstanding often arises around the term ` fitness ` . Fitness does not necessarily imply the fastest , strongest or healthiest individual.
The fitness of a gene or individual is relative to their environment, and this is often liable to change.

Evolution does not proceed according to some plan .

Though with the further advances in cutting edge medical research ..... we may increase our influence in shaping ours and other plants and animal physiology .

Something interesting .....

Steven Pinker on the myth of violence

The Expanding Circle, by the philosopher Peter Singer, who argues that evolution bequeathed humans with a sense of empathy: an ability to treat other peoples' interests as comparable to one's own.

Unfortunately, by default we apply it only to a very narrow circle of friends and family. People outside that circle are treated as sub-human, and can be exploited with impunity.
But over history, the circle has expanded. One can see, in historical record, it expanding from the village, to the clan, to the tribe, to the nation, to other races, to both sexes and, in Singer's own arguments, something that we should extend to other sentient species.

The question is, if this has happened, what has powered that expansion?

[edit on 22-6-2010 by UmbraSumus]

reply to post by Hefficide


Fire ants are also known to take other types of ants as slaves. Maybe humans aren't that special.

Originally posted by solarstorm

Originally posted by poedxsoldiervet
After years of field observations in Uganda's Kibale National Park, John Mitani of the University of Michigan and several colleagues have concluded that chimps wage war to conquer new territory.
www.time.com...

How appropriate, they must have been observing the chimps in the United States administration from the years of 2000 to 2008.

What about the monkeys in a certian US administration fromm 2009- to present?

reply to post by UmbraSumus


I think you misunderstand me.

By "survival of the fittest", I don't mean that the most physically fit will prevail. I'm only talking about the silly ideology that encompasses survival of the fittest. The overall message of the entire notion.

-----
I made note of the fact that people tend to revert to a style of thinking which suggests that the one who stands last, regardless of method or reason, basically has it their way.
-----

And by evolution, I don't mean there is a specific path that we will follow. Which is why I make certain to note that what I've said is my own personal belief. I would like to BELIEVE that we would make due progress so that war no longer becomes a feasible choice in any confrontational situation.

Monkey see... Monkey do... Evolution in action. Humanities replacement warming up..