New fashion trend popular with Zambian chimpanzees

Julie sports a blade of grass coming out of her ear. This new trend caught on

quickly among chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage

in Zambia in 2010. (National Geographic/Liz Simon)

Zambian chimps are sticking blades of grass in their ears for no apparent reason. It must be the new fashion trend.

In 2010, the first chimpanzee was seen decorating her ears with blades of grass. It caught on as eight other chimps at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage followed Julie’s lead. Scientists said there isn’t a purpose to this trend other than that it’s like jewelry for chimpanzees.

The chimpanzees chose a straw-like blade of grass and put it in one or both of their ears. Then they kept it in there as they went about their day.

Trendsetting

Edwin van Leeuwen was the primate expert who first observed Julie, the trendsetter. Van Leeuwen said, “Chimpanzees have a tendency to learn from one another – clearly a case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’.” There isn’t a real reason to adapt this behavior, but the chimps do it anyway.  

Van Leeuwen and his team studied how this behavior caught on.

Cultural Implications

Anthropologists said this shows that chimpanzees made this ear jewelry a part of their culture. There are no environmental factors influencing this behavior so Van Leeuwen said this is their way of artistic expression.

Watch two chimpanzees put grass in each others' ears:

            
Behavioral Analysis

This behavior says a lot about primates:

·      The grass could identify the chimps as members of a certain group.

·      This trend was found in four other groups of chimpanzees.

·      When the trendsetter dies, the trend lives on.

·      It proves that chimpanzees are capable of creating their own culture.

Van Leeuwen said chimps must find this behavior rewarding because when Julie died, other chimps continued sticking grass in their ears. He compared the chimps’ behavior to the steps our ancestors took in creating their own culture. We would not have our modern society if they did not have ideas for fashion or culture.

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