Chimpanzee Politics

Before reading Chimpanzee politics by Frans de Waal, I was unaware of the preeminent intelligence Chimpanzee’s possess. Although Chimpanzee’s showcase outstanding technical intelligence for primates and mammals, precluding human beings of course, their intelligence is truly exhibited in regards to social intelligence. One can argue the social intelligence of Chimpanzee’s rival that of human beings. Many theories have arisen to explain the high social intelligence of these fascinating animals, large group size and a need to maneuver through a vast, complex society to achieve mating success seem like the most tenable explanation for the Chimpanzee’s remarkably sharp brain. Throughout reading the book I was amazed, perplexed and even found myself mumbling words of approval at the Chimpanzee’s complex behavior. Frans de Waal does a remarkable job researching the social behaviors of Chimpanzees and gives the reader a clear understanding of how Chimpanzees truly behave. The social system of Chimpanzee’s, much like human beings and other intelligent life form, are based on dominance hierarchies. Their social system could be likened to that of aristocracy. There is a leading male, termed “alpha male”, that has proven himself to be the most dominant out of the males, as well as a dominant female who has a large social influence, but not as much as the alpha male. The alpha male possesses the most control in the group, giving him unlimited access to the group females and resources. Behind the alpha males follow the subordinate males who differ in terms of dominance. Hierarchies play a large role in chimpanzee culture and dictate how they relate to each other. For instance, if two non -alpha male chimpanzees are quarreling, and one is younger and much agile than the other, the older, less agile Chimp may run to the alpha male chimpanzee seeking refuge. Since the Alpha male is the most respected out of the group the aggressive, more agile younger male will not dare cross the Alpha male’s boundary and approach his target. This act of seeking refuge showcases the social brilliance and triadic awareness of chimps. The older chimpanzee is aware that he will be safe from the younger, stronger chimpanzee if he hides behind the alpha male. This means the chimps have an understanding of how they relate to each other and their positions in their complex society. A Chimpanzee named Yereon is the alpha male for the majority of the book until he’s challenged by Luit, a friendly, less dominant male. This battle for top male lasted for months, and surprisingly it was not completely dependent on physical strength, instead mostly on alliances. What truly gives the alpha male his power is his social relationships. The more allies a chimp has, the more likely he will deemed as alpha by his peers. Similar to politicians, Chimpanzees possess the social acuity to garner the trust of one another by doing favors for each other in hopes that favor will be one day reciprocated.
Aforementioned, Yereon a large, intimidating Chimp is the alpha male for a great portion of the book. During his reign as alpha he received much respect from his group members. Chimpanzee’s typically have an interesting way of greeting by which they bow down to one another, most of the time the subordinate group members are not greeted by the high ranking group members or even acknowledged. Yereon would be greeted by everybody, even Luit. When Yereon was alpha he would make the hair on his body stand up to give off a larger appearance, a behavior exhibited by all chimpanzees in the alpha position, and strut around sporting an arrogant attitude. It’s evident the Chimp in charge generally takes advantage of his powerful position and milks it for all it’s worth, not only is his stomach usually the most full, but his head as well.
It’s fascinating to see Yereon’s attitude change as he’s being dethroned by Luit. At first, Yereon sports a proud, self-confident demeanor, but as time passes and his face-offs with Luit become more threatening to his alpha position, Yereon’s poised attitude starts to diminish and is replaced by what seems to be an uncertain, anxious temperament. For instance, on several occasions during his down fall Yereon throws temper tantrums as sort of cry for help, a usual behavior for an adult, especially a dominant adult male. While Yereon is becoming less self-assured, the opposite is occurring with Luit. Luit’s confidence starts to grow and it’s seen with the way he carries himself, and his new behaviors. Before the collapse of Yereon’s prominence, Luit