Chimpanzees Looking Fierce with New Fashion

     A Chimpanzee taking up the latest fashion of putting a blade of grass in their ear, in Zambia at the Chimifunshi
     Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary. (Photo by Liz Simon/National Geographic)

Chimpanzees are starting a new fashion trend for next season.  A new study published in Animal Cognition reports of a group of chimpanzees that have started to put blades of grass in their ears.

Researcher, Edwin van Leeuwen, started studying these chimpanzees in Zambia at the Chimifunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary. A primate expert, van Leeuwen looked at why these primates took up this fashion statement and how this connects to human society.  

The Fashionista

In 2010 a chimpanzee named, Julie, was the first to put the blade of grass in her ear. There seemed to be no clear reason as to why she was doing it. But on repeated visits van Leewuen saw that the other chimpanzees began to put the blades of grass in their ears as well. 


A Chimpanzee with grass in their ear going about daily life in Zambia atthe Chimifunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary.(Video By Edwin van Leeuwen)

Regarding why the primates started following Julie, van Leewuen said, “Chimpanzees have a tendency to learn from one another–clearly a case of “monkey see, monkey do” in fact.”

To see how this new “trend” was spreading among the other chimpanzees, van Leeuwen set up cameras around the sanctuary.

After studying over 700 hours of footage they produced these results:

·        The first chimpanzee to copy Julie was her son, Jack.

·        Other chimpanzees that interacted often with Julie began to copy her behavior also.

·       Even after Julie died the chimpanzees continued to put the grass inside their ears. 

Van Leeuwen said, “The observations show that there’s nothing random about individual chimpanzees sticking grass into their ears.”

Primate Fashion and Human Fashion

Based on the study, scientists believe that this behavior in the chimpanzees has no genetic or ecological factor, but is simply cultural. They say it’s as if the blade of grass identifies chimps as a member of a club or team.

Similar to how human fashion works.

When looking at how humans will latch on to latest accessories, make-up or clothing it usually starts with one person wearing it and then others follow.

It’s the blade of grass effect all over again.

Van Leeuwen suggests that by looking at how these trends become so popular in culture, we can understand how modern society came to be today.

Your Fashion Statement 

What kind of defining fashion can you come up with? Leave a comment or photo below. 

Chimpanzees Are Setting Their Own Fashion Trends

Julie, the chimp at Zambia's Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Sanctuary, 

shows off her  grass "earring." (Liz Simon/National Geographic) 

Who would have thought that chimpanzees and humans were connected through body accessory trends? A study, done in 2010, shows that these two species are not only connected by biological traits but also through self-made fashion statements.

Scientists saw that in chimps in Zambia put blades of grass in their ears for no specific reason and related it to how humans pierce their ears. The study, done by Edwin van Leeuwen of the Max Planck Institute in Netherlands, observed 700 hours of footage of the chimps to see how the trend developed.

Observations

In the videos, van Leeuwen first noticed that Julie, the primate that invented this behavior, would casually put blades of grass in either one of both of her ears. After noticing that, van Leewun saw that the other chimps in her group started to do the same thing.

The “grass wearing” trend even continued when Julie passed away when other chimps, in her group, like her son continued to put grass in his ear. This behavior may prove that it’s possible for chimps to create their own forms culture and fads.

Why Do they Do It?

The research scientists found that there are no genetic or ecological reasons why the chimps are putting the grass in their ears.

Van Leeuwen said the following about his observations: “They spontaneously copied the arbitrary behavior from a group member. Chimpanzees have a tendency to learn from one another – clearly a case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ in fact.”

The only other explanation for this trend is that they are doing this for cultural reasons. For example, the blade of grass can be a symbol to identify them as a member of a club or tribe. But, as of now, it’s only an accessory.

What’s your favorite human fashion trend and do you think they could work for animals? If so, what animal would it be?

Zambian Chimpanzees' New Fashion Trend

A chimpanzee showing off a blade of grass in its ear. It was taken in 2010 in the
Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia. (Liz Simon/National Geographic)

One decision by a chimpanzee in Zambia could help scientists understand how human culture developed.

Scientists are studying a chimpanzee in Zambia that repeatedly put a blade of grass in its ear. They think it could be a fashion statement, like wearing big earrings or trendy hat. A chimpanzee named Julie (pictured above) started the trend, and scientists took notice when others followed her lead. Eight of the 12 chimps in her group followed suit.

Monkey See, Monkey Do?

Edwin van Leeuwen recent published a study on the behavior in Animal Cognition Journal. Van Leeuwen is a primate expert at the Max Planck Institute in the Netherlands. He first noticed the fashion statement during a 2010 visit to the sanctuary. He saw Julie put a stiff piece of grass in one or both ears for no reason.

Van Leeuwen observed the trend become popular in the next few visits. He said, "They spontaneously copied the arbitrary behavior from a group member. Chimpanzees have a tendency to learn from one another – clearly a case of 'monkey see, monkey do' in fact."

Van Leeuwen and his team reviewed 700 hours of video footage to understand how the trend developed in Julie's group.


                  
              An excerpt of the footage Van Leeuwen's team analyzed

Cultural Significance

Scientists haven't found any genetic or ecological factors that could have influenced this behavior. They say it shows artistic conceptualization, pre-planning, tool-use and culture. That's what leads them to believe this trend is more than just grass stuck in a chimp's ear.

Even more important, the trend continued after the original chimp died. Van Leeuwen suggests that animals that find a specific behavior somehow rewarding will continue to do so on their own, even if the originator of the trend is not directly influencing them anymore. The trend has anthropologists wondering how much other primates are capable of creating distinct cultures. Van Leeuwen said, "The fact that these behaviors can be arbitrary and outlast the originator speaks to the cultural potential of chimpanzees"

Study Conclusions

• There is no reason for the chimps to put the grass in their ear
• Eight of 12 chimps in the group followed Julie's lead
• The trend continued after the chimp who started it died
• This simple action could help scientists understand how primates develop cultural traditions

Chimps Start Own Fashion Trend

Grass-in-ear is in with one group of Zambian chimpanzees.

A chimp walks with a blade of grass in its ear. This look
became a thing with chimps at Zambia's Chimfunshi
Wildlife Orphanage Trust. (Liz Simon/National Geographic)

A group of chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust were seen sticking grass in their ears. Researchers first saw a chimpanzee called Julie doing it.

She apparently kept sticking grass in her ears for no reason. Then seven others in her group started copying her.

The animals were part of a 2010 behavioral study led by Dutch researcher Edwin van Leeuwen. He wanted to find out if genetics or the environment caused the new behavior. 

Making Grass "Fetch"

• Julie started putting grass in her ear
• Her son Jack was the first to copy her
• Followed by group members Kathy, Miracle, and Val

Leeuwen at first thought the trend was a case of "monkey see, monkey do," which is how chimpanzees learn from each other. But only eight of  the 12 chimps in Julie's group copied her.

And three other groups in the study didn't pick up the behavior.

Watch Julie's group stick grass in their ears.

It's a Cultural Thing

Leeuwen found that biology and the environment had no effect on the trend.
The grass was"the equivalent of people wearing earrings." It became part of the group's identity.
The chimps had in fact made their own culture. And the custom was kept up by Kathy and Val even after Julie died.

Contribution Corner

Please comment below some things that you do with your family or friends that set you apart from other people.

Do you think that humans are the only ones that follow fashion trends? Well, think again.

In 2010, a primate expert, Edwin Van Leeuwen started noticing that a group of Zambian Chimpanzees has been sticking a blade of grass in their ears.

Chimpanzee with 'grass-in-the ear' trend in Zambia,
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014. (Photo by Liz Simon)

Researcher Edwin Van Leeuwen first noticed this behavior in a chimp in Zambia’s Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. Julie would put a stiff, straw-like blade of grass on her ears for no apparent reason.

During the following visits, Van Leeuwen saw that other chimpanzees in Julie’s group had started to copy her.

The Study

His team studied 700 hours of video footage to understand how the “grass-in-ear” trend developed in four different groups of chimpanzees.

“They spontaneously copied the arbitrary behavior from a group member. Chimpanzees have a tendency to learn from one another – clearly a case of “monkey see, monkey do” in fact,” writes Van Leeuwen

They saw that eight out of 12 chimpanzees in Julie’s group followed the trend.

Is Fashion Universal?

The researches believe that this behavior has no apparent purpose. It appears to be only ornamental like jewelry or fashion.

Maybe since Chimpanzee’s do not have the options to go out and buy ornaments, they have to resort to something that can be found in nature; like a piece of grass.

Behavior Dominates Culture

It was concluded that there are no genetic or ecological factors that influence this behavior.

The only thing that could have caused this is culture. Maybe the “grass-in-ear” is used to identify themselves as members of different groups.

Culture tends to be followed and kept from generations to generations.

The chimpanzees kept up the custom even after Julie, the original inventor of this behavior, died. Behavior may prove that the primates are capable of creating their own culture.

Sometimes a behavior is simply followed for no apparent reason. If you see a trend in fashion, such as wearing sunglasses in dark places, you might adopt it simply because you like it.

The trend doesn’t need to have a scientific explanation behind it.

And maybe this is what is happening with the chimpanzees. Chimp Julie started it, and they adopted it because they liked it or because they looked after her.

Video

In Chimp Fashion, Grass is the new Gold

Chimps decorate their ears a little differently than humans

A chimp in Zambia walks with grass hanging out of its ear. (Liz Simon/National Geographic)

Researchers found that a group of chimpanzees in Zambia have been sticking strips of grass in their ears. Lead researcher at the Max Planck Institute and primate expert, Edwin vanLeeuwen, first noticed this in 2010 at a Zambian wildlife sanctuary.

A chimp, Julie, repeatedly stuck the blade of grass in her ears for no known reason. On following visits, Leeuwen noticed that other chimpanzees started to copy Julie.

In a study, Leeuwen’s team decided to examine and analyze why chimps followed this unusual trend. They found that,

·      Out of 12 chimpanzees in Julie’s group, eight of them mimicked her behavior

·      Julie’s son, Jack, was the first to start copying her

·      Then other chimps Kathy, Miracle, and Val followed. These chimps were around Julie often.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Leeuwen explained that the chimps happened to copy Julie because chimps are likely to follow each other.  

Leeuwen pointed out that the chimps weren’t acting too different from people. Like chimps sticking grass in their ears, people put on accessories like hats or earrings. Scientists determined that the act has no function except for looks.

This video shows the chimps sticking the grass in their ears

Couture and Culture

Leeuwen suggested that the chimps made a culture out of the grass accessory. This is because

·      Scientists say that there’s no genetic or ecological influence for this

·      Chimps could associate the grass in ears with a specific group

·      Chimpanzees, Kathy and Val, continued to do it even after Julie died. Retaining the behavior showed their ability to create their own culture.

The chimps’ new grass jewelry imitates our ancestors’ innovations. Whether it was for fashion or for comfort, both chimps and humans took steps, which may have seemed odd at first, to progress.

Take Some Time to Share
What are some moments now that you think could make a cultural impact?