How Bonobos Help Explain The Evolution Of Nice

Short Wave

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🗓️ 28 January 2021

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

How did humans evolve some key cooperative behaviors like sharing? NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton reports back from a bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where scientists are trying to answer that very question.

Follow host Maddie Sofia and correspondent Jon Hamilton on Twitter, and email the show at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:04.8	Hey everybody, Emily Quang here.
0:08.0	Today we are talking about how humans evolved some key behaviors like sharing with our brain
0:14.4	guy and Pierre Science correspondent John Hamilton.
0:17.1	Hi John.
0:18.1	Hey Emily.
0:19.1	Hi okay.
0:20.1	John, are you saying that evolution somehow made us nice?
0:23.9	I'm saying evolution gave us a brain that is capable of being nice.
0:28.5	Of course our brains are also capable of being, you know, not so nice.
0:32.4	Important distinction, yes.
0:34.1	So where did this kinder gentler side come from?
0:37.1	I actually went to a place where scientists are trying to answer that very question.
0:42.1	This was before COVID I should say when travel was a bit easier.
0:45.1	I went with my colleagues Scott Hensley.
0:47.6	The place we visited is an animal sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
0:52.5	Oh, this is beautiful.
0:57.7	What are we listening to?
0:59.8	That is a group of bonobos getting ready to have a meal.
1:04.0	How would you describe bonobos within the world of primates?
1:07.9	What they look like chimps and genetically they are nearly identical but bonobos don't
1:13.3	act like chimps.
	...

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