Chimps Make Fashion Statement Using Grass

A new study finds that chimps stick grass in their ears as a form of fashion. 


 

This chimp shows off the grass fashion fad in Zambia (National Geographic/Liz Simon) 

   Humans aren't the king of the fashion world. According to a study published in Animal Cognition, a group of Zambian chimps have begun their own fashion fad.

  Their fashionable must have? Blades of grass kept in their ears.

Chimp See Chimp Do: The Study

     
  Primate expert Edwin van Leeuwen first noticed the behavior in a chimp named Julie in 2010. Julie repeatedly stuck stiff blades of grass in both ears for no apparent reason.

 Van Leeuwen noticed that every time he came to visit Julie, more of the chimps had straw in their ears. It started first with Julie's son Jack. Soon several other chimps Julie spent the most of her time with started to wear the grass "earrings" as well.

A chimp joins the fad by sticking a blade of grass in its ear
at the sanctuary in Zambia. (National Geographic/Liz Simon)

 Eventually, eight of the 12 chimps had straw in their ears. Even after Julie died some of the chimps continued the habit of sticking grass in their ears.

 The study, found here, watched the chimps at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary  for 700 hours to understand how the trend came about.

Van Leeuwen says there is meaning behind the chimps' fad, "“The observations show that there’s nothing random about individual chimpanzees sticking grass into their ears."

The scientists believe that there are no genetic or ecological factors that caused the behavior.

Scientists think the grass is worn as jewelry. Some scientists even think that the grass is used to identify the chimps as members of a team of social club.

In this video, chimps can be seen helping each other
place blades of grass in their ears. (London Times)

What the Findings Mean:

The researchers believe that the behavior may prove that chimps are able to create their own culture. Van Leeuwen suggests that the chimps' actions may mirror the actions of our own early ancestors. 

Van Leeuwen said, "“The grass-in-ear behavior is not far removed from a human fad. I’d say this could be the equivalent of people wearing earrings or certain kinds of hats.”

While it might sound silly, even early human culture could have had their own Anna Wintours and Karl Lagerfelds. Instead of designer gowns, it was rocks and grass that were in vogue.

How to Make a Difference for These Fashionable Chimps:

Please visit the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary's homepage to make a donation. These donations help maintain the sanctuary's upkeep. 

You can also like and share the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary's Facebook page to send the message to your friends. 

For more information on Edwin Van Leeuwen, the primate expert at the Max Planck Institute in The Netherlands, you can visit this website.