Chimps “engage in deadly battles with rival troops to raise reproductive success”

ONLINE EMBARGO 20.00 GMT, 17/11/25

New research led by UCLA and the University of Michigan has shown that chimp communities that kill their neighbors to gain territory also gain reproductive advantages. // Chimps in the wild engage in deadly battles with rival troops to increase their reproductive success, suggests new research. The Ngogo chimps of Uganda’s Kibale National Park have long been known for violent clashes with their primate neighbours, often leading to fatalities - a phenomenon described as “chimpanzee warfare.” Now, a team of anthropologists has discovered "clear links" between lethal aggression, territorial expansion, and increased reproductive success among wild chimps. Their study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), offers rare evidence linking lethal conflict to reproductive benefits, providing insight into the evolution of the violence. They say their findings provide the clearest evidence yet that territorial expansion after lethal conflict can directly boost reproductive success.

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Alex Kraft

By Stephen Beech

Chimps in the wild engage in deadly battles with rival troops to increase their reproductive success, suggests new research.

Chimps “engage in deadly battles with rival troops to raise reproductive success”

New research led by UCLA and the University of Michigan has shown that chimp communities that kill their neighbors to gain territory also gain reproductive advantages. (Kevin Langergraber via SWNS)

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Andrea Qoqonga

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