In contrast, female bonobos run the show south of the Congo River. Chimps are known to commit both infanticide and cannibalism to increase their chances of fathering offspring. However, this fierce competition comes at a violent cost. The more dominant alpha males intimidate younger chimps and have more offspring. A classic example of natural selection, chimps compete for power in the group which translates to more chances to mate and pass on their offspring. These trends in social structure are built on the social bonds between individuals.ДЇor chimpanzees, the relationships between males define the group structure. On the other hand, wild bonobos are less strict with their territory borders and operate under a more matriarchal society. Chimpanzee communities have a clear hierarchy of males that defend clearly marked territories. However, there are several key divergences in how the primates interact between ages and genders. Both groups use a fission-fusion structure in which smaller foraging teams reunite at night to sleep. Social StructureД«oth primates live in social groups of mixed males and females, with bonobos generally occupying larger groups. Chimpanzee and bonobo behavior can help us understand if certain human behaviors are part of our genome or learned through societal pressures. In the field of evolutionary anthropology, scientists use primate studies to answer questions. Not only fascinating from an ecological perspective, but primate behavior can also give us clues to human evolution. The most dramatic differences between chimps and bonobos lie in their social behaviors. Bonobo communities tend to hunt for meat about twice per month, and they share their prey generously with the group. Seemingly tied to competition for status and mates, male chimpanzees will go on violent hunting sprees, mostly targeted at the smaller colobus monkeys. Additionally, while bonobos wonвЂ™t shy away from a protein source like worms or ants or the occasional duiker (small antelope), chimps tend to be a bit more carnivorous. However, bonobos are more likely to add vegetables to their diets by grazing on stems, leaves, and flowers. Though both species can be found in the Congo River Basin, bonobos stay south of the river while chimpanzees can be found to the north.Д«oth chimps and bonobos are primarily frugivores, preferring to munch on the wide variety of fruit available in the tropical forests of central Africa. On the other hand, chimpanzees are found across twelve countries in east, central, and west Africa. In fact, bonobos are endemic to a small region of the Congo River Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

However, bonobos have a much smaller range. Distribution & RangeД«oth chimpanzees and bonobos live in the tropical jungles of central Africa. Keep reading to learn more about the ecology of these two primates along with some of their key differences.

Over the years, research has continued to reveal differences between chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes) and bonobos ( Pan paniscus).

Eventually, the two ape species were seen as distinct. In fact, until 1954, scientists called them pygmy chimpanzees. Originally, researchers assumed bonobos were just a subspecies of chimpanzees. Their genus shares the family Hominidae with the other tailless great apes like gorillas and orangutans. Physically, chimpanzees and bonobos are quite similar, and together, they make up the sole members of the genus Pan. But while these two great ape species have many similarities, they are actually quite different animals. Humans ( Homo sapien) share not only a common ancestor with both these primates, but we also share over 95% of our genome. Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives.

Chimpanzee vs bonobo