A fruit in the hand or two in the bush? Divergent risk preferences in chimpanzees and bonobos.
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 articleSubject
AnimalsAppetitive Behavior
Female
Male
Pan paniscus
Pan troglodytes
Risk-Taking
Species Specificity
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/7404Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1098/rsbl.2008.0081Publication 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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Brian Hare
Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology

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