Human females may get offended at dates who expect a little something extra after they buy a steak dinner, but for chimpanzees, the exchange may be a fair one [Reuters].
A new study of a chimp community living in the western African nation Côte d’Ivoire has found that males regularly share meat from their hunting expeditions with females, and get sex in return. The researchers observed males sharing meat with females in estrus, who have sexual swellings that indicate their current fertility.
More surprising was that males shared meat with females that didn't have sexual swellings, perhaps in hopes of future success, the researchers say. The sex "may not necessarily occur immediately—it could occur sometime in the future," said study co-author Cristina M. Gomes [National Geographic News].
The findings, she says, support the theory that chimps can engage in long-term planning, anticipating future events and remembering past interactions. The chimpanzees' ...
