Chimpanzees, in a biological genus context, refer to the genus *Pan*, which comprises two extant species: the common chimpanzee (*Pan troglodytes*) and the bonobo (*Pan paniscus*). Members of *Pan* are large-bodied African apes characterized by high encephalization, complex social structures, and advanced cognitive capacities, including tool use and cultural transmission of behaviors. Genetically, they are the closest living relatives of humans, sharing a high degree of sequence homology across the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Research on *Pan* informs comparative genomics, primate behavioral ecology, evolutionary anthropology, and the molecular and developmental bases of traits underlying hominin evolution.
A University of Auckland scientist has uncovered the fates of chimpanzees who starred in seminal psychological studies of the early 20th century.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 13, 2026
0
19
Micheline Nzonzi cradled a small and sleepy bonobo, an orphan whose life she will try to save over the next three years or so.
Ecology
May 13, 2026
0
226
Tropical rainforests are known for their unique biodiversity, with species found nowhere else on Earth. But nearly 30% of tropical rainforest has been destroyed or has become seriously degraded since 1990. Many of these forests ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 23, 2026
0
8
When she was a kid in the 1970s, Karen Terio wasn't allowed to watch much television, but wildlife specials were permitted. That was how she learned about the work of Jane Goodall, who was studying the behavior of wild chimpanzees ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 14, 2026
0
9
In February 2023, a resident at Kyoto University's Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior—EHUB—treated researchers to a spontaneous musical performance. Ayumu, a 26-year-old male chimpanzee, removed floorboards ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 25, 2026
0
175
Aleksey Maro knows far more than he cares to know about the urination habits of chimpanzees. But if you want to measure the alcohol intake of chimps in a Ugandan rain forest, where a breathalyzer is impractical, collecting ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 24, 2026
0
121
In a series of tea party-like experiments, Johns Hopkins University researchers demonstrate for the first time that apes can use their imagination and play pretend, an ability thought to be uniquely human.
Plants & Animals
Feb 5, 2026
0
64
Ai, a "genius" chimpanzee who could recognize more than 100 Chinese characters and the English alphabet, has died aged 49, Japanese researchers said.
Plants & Animals
Jan 12, 2026
0
25
The man tracking chimpanzee movements in a rainforest is required to follow the primates wherever they go—except up in the trees.
Ecology
Dec 12, 2025
0
16
