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    A fruit in the hand or two in the bush? Divergent risk preferences in chimpanzees and bonobos.

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    Published version
    126.2 Kb
    Supporting information
    17.6 Kb
    Date
    2008-06-23
    Authors
    Hare, Brian
    Hauser, MD
    Heilbronner, SR
    Rosati, Alexandra G
    Stevens, JR
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    Abstract
    Human and non-human animals tend to avoid risky prospects. If such patterns of economic choice are adaptive, risk preferences should reflect the typical decision-making environments faced by organisms. However, this approach has not been widely used to examine the risk sensitivity in closely related species with different ecologies. Here, we experimentally examined risk-sensitive behaviour in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), closely related species whose distinct ecologies are thought to be the major selective force shaping their unique behavioural repertoires. Because chimpanzees exploit riskier food sources in the wild, we predicted that they would exhibit greater tolerance for risk in choices about food. Results confirmed this prediction: chimpanzees significantly preferred the risky option, whereas bonobos preferred the fixed option. These results provide a relatively rare example of risk-prone behaviour in the context of gains and show how ecological pressures can sculpt economic decision making.
    Type
    Journal article
    Subject
    Animals
    Appetitive Behavior
    Female
    Male
    Pan paniscus
    Pan troglodytes
    Risk-Taking
    Species Specificity
    Permalink
    https://hdl.handle.net/10161/7404
    Published Version (Please cite this version)
    10.1098/rsbl.2008.0081
    Publication Info
    Hare, Brian; Hauser, MD; Heilbronner, SR; Rosati, Alexandra G; & Stevens, JR (2008). A fruit in the hand or two in the bush? Divergent risk preferences in chimpanzees and bonobos. Biol Lett, 4(3). pp. 246-249. 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0081. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/7404.
    This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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    Scholars@Duke

    Hare

    Brian Hare

    Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology
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