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Study: Cuddles Calm Chimps After Conflict

Researchers find evidence of empathy in man's closest relative

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 17, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – Chimpanzees console each other with hugs and kisses after a conflict much like humans do, researchers have discovered. After a chimp has been the victim of aggression, its stress levels are greatly reduced when it's embraced by another. The findings reveal a level of empathy in man's closest relative that is absent in monkeys, said a primate expert.

"Chimpanzees calm distressed recipients of aggression by consoling them with a friendly gesture," a researcher told AP. "This study removes doubt that consolation really does what the term suggests: provides relief to distressed parties after conflict. The evidence is compelling and makes it likely that consolation behavior is an expression of empathy."

Chimpanzees at Lisbon Zoo have breakfast in this file photo.
Chimpanzees at Lisbon Zoo have breakfast in this file photo.   (Getty Images)
Chimps sit in their cage at the Zoo in Antwerp, Belgium, Wednesday April 18, 2007.
Chimps sit in their cage at the Zoo in Antwerp, Belgium, Wednesday April 18, 2007.   (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)
Chimpanzees play with a pumpkin with a Halloween face at Sydney's Taronga Zoo in this 2005 file photo. Researchers say chimps use hugs and kisses to console each other.
Chimpanzees play with a pumpkin with a Halloween face at Sydney's Taronga Zoo in this 2005 file photo. Researchers say chimps use hugs and kisses to console each other.   (AP Photo/Mark Baker, FILE)
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