The Real Chimpanzee
Sex Strategies in the Forest

Encapsulates the behaviour of wild chimps, discussing the differences observed in populations across the species, and levels of social behaviour.

Christophe Boesch (Author)

9780521125130, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 23 July 2009

196 pages, 17 b/w illus.
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.1 cm, 0.35 kg

'… an entertaining and personal ethnography …' Primates

The Real Chimpanzee encapsulates the fascinating behaviour of wild chimpanzees and discusses the differences observed in different populations across the species, and across the many levels of their social behaviour. It explains why sex competition and predation pressures in a forest chimpanzee population made the females of the group highly social and gave the males a high level of within-group solidarity, making them very xenophobic towards outsiders. Love is what makes war possible. Christophe Boesch brings back to the table the debate over ecological pressures and social organization, and the influence they have over issues such as the evolution of warfare, co-operation, altruism and the position of females. Written in an accessible style for a general audience as well as for undergraduate and graduate students, he presents insightful views to give readers the background information to understand the struggle for survival of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee, and through this to find some keys to the ever-so-intriguing question of what makes us human.

1. Make love and war?
2. Inconspicuous female superiority
3. The tyranny of the testis
4. Odyssey through our forest past
5. Make war to get love
6. The real chimpanzee
7. When sex became destructive
8. Postscript: Fedora's fate.

Subject Areas: Primates [PSVW79], Animal behaviour [PSVP], Animal reproduction [PSVH]