As humans? closest living relatives, chimpanzees have great relevance for understanding human behavioral biology. However, because of their long life-span, slow reproductive rate and great social complexity, many fundamental questions about wild chimpanzee biology remain unresolved. This project will support the continued collection of daily behavioral data in three social groups of wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, where they have been studied continuously since Jane Goodall began her work in 1960. The overarching goal of this long-term study is to understand the ecological and evolutionary determinants of the behavior of this remarkable species. Like many human societies, male chimpanzees remain for life in their natal group, forming close social bonds with relatives, while females typically emigrate and join new groups at social maturity, even in the face of competition from resident females. A particular goal of this project is to investigate why some females emigrate from their social group, where they settle in their new group?s territory, and how they compete with resident females for food and social status. The answers to these questions will illuminate the evolutionary determinants of competition and cooperation in chimpanzees and other species. The data will be added to a permanent digital database stored at Duke University and accessible over the web. Dissemination of the results of this project in the scientific and popular press, film documentaries, educational videos and widely visited websites will keep these iconic chimpanzees in the public eye worldwide, and will continue to draw young people (including women) into science and foster support for the conservation of this endangered species. The project will involve undergraduates from underrepresented groups, afford employment and education to Tanzanians and provide crucial information that will aid community conservation efforts around Gombe National Park.
