Tools to tipple: ethanol ingestion by wild chimpanzees using leaf-sponges

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Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

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Paper Summary

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Chimps Get Their Buzz On, Thanks to Human Brewmasters!

This 17-year observational study found that wild chimpanzees frequently consume fermented palm sap, provided by human tapping, that contains up to 6.9% alcohol using leaf-sponges. The findings suggest that ethanol doesn't deter these apes and contribute to understanding the evolutionary history of ethanol consumption in primates, including humans.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Weaknesses

Human-Influenced Behavior

Chimpanzees are ingesting ethanol from palm sap made available by human tapping and collection methods, not purely natural sources, which limits the conclusions about natural selection pressures for ethanol consumption.

Limited Behavioral Data on Inebriation

While some chimpanzees reportedly showed 'behavioral signs of inebriation,' detailed before-and-after behavioral data were rarely collected, making it difficult to fully assess the effects of ethanol consumption.

Single Community Study

The observations are restricted to a single chimpanzee community, limiting the generalizability of these findings to other chimpanzee populations or other African ape species.

Inferential Human Relevance

The paper draws conclusions about the 'last common ancestor' of African apes and humans based on observations of chimpanzees, which is an inference and not a direct study of human behavior or evolution.

Rating Explanation

This is a valuable long-term observational study in primatology, providing novel quantitative data on tool use and ethanol ingestion in wild chimpanzees. However, the ethanol source is anthropogenic (human-tapped palms), which complicates its direct implications for natural evolutionary pressures. Furthermore, the paper's inferential links to human evolution, based on an animal study, limit its rating per the specified guidelines. Detailed behavioral data on inebriation were also lacking.

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