Chimps Reveal Why Teenagers Are Notorious For Risky Behaviors : ScienceAlert

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Adolescents are known for engaging in risky behavior, with teenagers in the US more likely than younger children to die from injury. But what’s responsible for this uptick in risk-taking around puberty?

New observations of physical risk-taking in chimpanzees suggest that the rise in risk-taking in human adolescence isn’t due to a new yen for danger. Rather, a decrease in supervision gives teens more opportunities to take risks.

Researchers studied locomotion in chimpanzees, one of humans’ closest relatives. It’s difficult to study physical risk-taking in people because it is not ethical to put anyone in danger. Chimpanzees are good alternative study subjects, since wild chimps of all ages need to move through the trees, often at great heights.

While working with researchers, undergraduate student Bryce Murray at the University of Michigan noticed that some of the movements that chimpanzees perform in the trees are more dangerous than others. Typically, chimpanzees climb or swing while keeping a secure grip on branches. However, they also leap across gaps and sometimes let go of a branch entirely, dropping down to another branch or the ground. Unfortunately, they don’t always nail the landing. Years of observations in the wild have shown that falls are a major source of injury and even death among chimpanzees.

After watching these behaviors in chimpanzees, Bryce began to wonder whether their physical risk-taking follows the same patterns we see in humans. Do chimpanzees start taking more risks – like leaping and dropping from branches – once they enter puberty?

The study group consisted of over 100 wild chimpanzees ranging from 2 to 65 years old from Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Researchers found that chimpanzees engaged in their most daring locomotion during later infancy (ages 2-5), with rates of leaping and dropping steadily declining as they aged. Compared with adults (over 15 years), older infants were three times more likely to perform risky behaviors. Juveniles (ages 5-10) were 2.5 times more likely, and adolescents (ages 10-15) were twice as likely.

Additionally, there were no significant sex differences in risk-taking at any age, consistent with prior work showing that male and female chimpanzees do not differ much in how they move through the trees.

The findings fit with past lab studies that focus on gambling risks rather than physical ones. Experimenters ask chimpanzees to choose between safe and risky options, and similar patterns occur in both chimpanzees and humans, becoming more risk averse with age.

Chimpanzee mothers cannot effectively restrict their offspring’s behavior beyond the age of 2. By that age, infants cling less frequently to their mothers and are no longer in consistent contact. In contrast, human children are tracked with care by their parents and other adult caregivers, and restrictions loosen as they become adolescents.

Researchers hypothesize that if parents and other caregivers watched children less closely, younger kids would take more physical risks even before they become teenagers. The study of chimpanzees helps understand how supervision may shape physical risk-taking in people.

It’s important to consider other factors that may influence chimpanzees’ taking fewer physical risks as they mature. This pattern may reflect a need for adults to be more careful, as adults are heavier and have less flexible bones, making injuries from falls more deadly.

Studying chimpanzees offers insight into the roles that both evolution and culture play in human development. Balancing parental supervision with children’s need for play is tricky, and minor injuries may be a normal part of development. Play during childhood may let kids practice risky behaviors more safely.

Some anthropologists argue for increasing children’s access to thrill-seeking play as a way to help them develop motor skills and skeletal strength. Protective parenting is a crucial aspect of child development in both humans and primates. In a recent study conducted by MacLatchy, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, and Lauren Sarringhaus, Assistant Professor of Biology at James Madison University, researchers delved into the risks young chimps take as they swing through the trees, highlighting the importance of parental guidance and protection.

The study focused on the behavior of young chimpanzees as they navigate their environment, particularly when swinging through the trees. Just like human children, young chimps exhibit a sense of curiosity and adventurous spirit, often taking risks as they explore their surroundings. However, the researchers found that these risks are mitigated by the presence of protective parenting.

By closely observing the interactions between young chimps and their parents, the researchers were able to identify key behaviors that contribute to the safety and well-being of the offspring. For example, adult chimps often demonstrate protective behaviors such as closely monitoring their young, providing guidance on how to navigate challenging terrain, and intervening when necessary to prevent accidents.

These findings underscore the importance of protective parenting in primate societies, as well as in human societies. Just like young chimps, human children rely on their parents for guidance, support, and protection as they navigate the complexities of the world around them. By studying the behavior of primates, researchers can gain valuable insights into the role of parenting in child development and the ways in which parental guidance shapes the behavior and decision-making of offspring.

In conclusion, the study conducted by MacLatchy and Sarringhaus sheds light on the risks young chimps take as they swing through the trees, highlighting the crucial role of protective parenting in ensuring the safety and well-being of offspring. By understanding the dynamics of parental care in primate societies, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the complex interactions between parents and their offspring, and the ways in which these relationships shape the development of young individuals.