Chimpanzees use medicinal plants to clean their own wounds and those of others in their community, research has found.
Scientists say the "surprising" findings, based on detailed observations of the primates in the forests of Uganda, could shed light on the social bonds that led to health care among human beings.
The first author of the study, Dr Elodie Freymann, of the Institute of Human Sciences at the University of Oxford, said chimpanzees may also care for unrelated individuals “to build future alliances that could benefit them”.
“But it is also possible that this is a form of altruism that we’re seeing – chimpanzees helping others simply for the sake of helping. I don’t think that’s out of the question,” she told The National.
In Uganda’s Budongo Forest, Dr Freymann and her colleagues spent four months observing two communities of chimpanzees, the Sonso and Waibira. The researchers also pored through logbooks containing detailed observations stretching back decades, and surveyed other scientists who saw chimpanzees helping one another.
Many of the animals suffered injuries caused by accidents, fights or snares, with about four in 10 of the Sonso chimpanzees having been hurt by snares.
Socially minded
As well as recording dozens of cases of individuals carrying out care on themselves, the scientists witnessed seven instances of chimpanzees helping others, something known as prosocial care. Four cases of prosocial care involved animals helping individuals they were not related to.
The animals licked wounds, which cleared out debris and may have promoted healing because of the antimicrobial properties of saliva. They also licked their fingers and pressed them to wounds, dabbed leaves on injuries and chewed plant materials before applying them to lesions.
Once the researchers identified which plants the animals were using on their wounds, they went through scientific literature to see how these plants were traditionally used by people and whether they contained substances that are bioactive, meaning they have effects on organisms.
“We found that quite a few of them did, and interestingly several of these plants had uses and properties relevant to wound healing,” she said.
All chimpanzees observed closely by the scientists recovered, although the researchers said the animals may have got better even if nothing had been done to the wounds. As well as wound treatment, prosocial care also involved removing snares and helping other chimpanzees with hygiene.
Rare behaviour
Dr Freymann said that, until now, there were just “a handful” of documented cases of chimpanzees showing prosocial care towards unrelated individuals. As a result, she was “surprised” to read such accounts in the research site’s logbook of unusual behaviour.
“Chimpanzees are incredibly intelligent and social animals, so why shouldn’t they be capable of recognising that others in their community need external assistance, and then provide that care? Our study expands the list of wild chimpanzee sites where this kind of prosocial care occurs, showing that it is more widespread and less rare than we previously thought," she said.
Humans can “learn a lot about ourselves and our evolutionary origins” by observing wild chimpanzees, Dr Freymann said. The creatures are one of humanity’s closest living relatives.
“They serve as interesting evolutionary models for understanding what our shared common ancestor may have been capable of,” she added. “The fact that chimpanzees clearly possess the ability to take care of their own wounds, and the wounds of others in their community, suggests that the origins of our healthcare systems may be more ancient than we may have thought.”
Knowledge about the behaviour of chimpanzees towards health care could also prove useful to efforts to protect the animals, the scientists said in their paper, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
“As chimpanzee habitats become increasingly disrupted, and primate populations inch closer to extinction, understanding the socio-ecological pressures on chimpanzee healthcare behaviours could play a critical role in informing conservation strategies,” they wrote.
Protecting the plants the animals need to keep themselves healthy, and tackling the use of snares, could protect chimpanzees “from environmental and climatic disturbances that increasingly threaten their survival”.
Another great ape, the orangutan, made headlines a year ago when it was revealed that an injured male on the Indonesian island of Sumatra chewed plant leaves with medicinal properties and applied the juice to an open wound under his eye. A researcher involved in that work, Isabelle Laumer, told media at the time that it was the first known case of a wild animal treating a wound with a medicinal plant.
The scientists involved in the chimpanzee study worked from the Budongo Conservation Field Station, which Dr Freymann described as “an incredible field site” in the middle of the forest.
“All around you there are birds singing, insects chirping and chimps calling,” she said. “The trees are massive and many have giant buttresses that branch out along the forest floor. Every day, walking into the forest, you have the sense that anything could happen.”
Dr Freymann said there were “just so many unexplored areas” in the field of zoopharmacognosy, the term for animals self-medicating.
She aims to carry out fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon, where she will look for signs of animal self-medication in her new role as a post-doctoral fellow at Brown University, in the US.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Non-oil%20trade
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
