Do you know why chimpanzees hug and kiss?

Prof. Know Why answers for your general knowledge and awareness on: Do you know why chimpanzees hug and kiss?

In humans, a nice hug and some sympathy can normally help a bit after we get pushed around. Now, it’s known that chimpanzees also use hugs and kisses the same way. And it works! Researchers studying human's closest genetic relatives, the chimpanzees, found that stress was reduced in chimpanzees who were victims of aggression if a third chimpanzee stepped in to offer consolation.

The findings were reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research was done by Dr. Orlaith N. Fraser of the Research Center in Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology at Liverpool John Moores University in England; and colleagues. They studied chimpanzees at the Chester Zoo in England from January 2005 to September 2006, recording instances of aggression such as a bite, hit, rush, trample, chase or threat.

Dr. Fraser said that the research showed, "consolation usually took the form of a kiss or embrace", which is particularly interesting because this behavior is rarely seen other than after a conflict. "If a kiss was used, the consoler would press his or her open mouth against the recipient's body, usually on the top of the head or their back. An embrace consisted of the consoler wrapping one or both arms around the recipient."

The result was a reduction of stress behavior among the chimpanzees, such as scratching or self-grooming by the victim of aggression, reported Dr. Fraser and colleagues.

Dr. Frans de Waal of the Yerkes Primate Center at Emory University in Atlanta, who was not part of Fraser's research team, said, the study is important because it shows the relationship between consolation and stress reduction in the chimpanzees.

"This study removes doubt that consolation really does what the term suggests: provide relief to distressed parties after conflict. The evidence is compelling and makes it likely that consolation behavior is an expression of empathy," Dr. Waal said.

Dr. Waal suggested that this evidence of empathy in chimpanzees is "perhaps equivalent to what in human children is called 'sympathetic concern.'"

That behavior in children includes touching and hugging of distressed family members and "is in fact identical to that of apes, and so the comparison is not far-fetched," he said. But, while chimpanzees show this empathy, monkeys do not, he added.

Previous research on conflict among chimpanzees concentrated on cases where there were reconciliation between victim and aggressor, with little attention to intervention by a third party.

The latest research result shows that chimpanzees calm distressed recipients of aggression by consoling them with a friendly gesture. But, consolation is most likely to occur, that is by hugs and kisses, between chimpanzees who already have valuable relationships, concludes chief researcher Dr. Orlaith N. Fraser.

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Do you know why bats hang upside down?

Prof. Know Why answers:

There are nearly 1,000 species of bats, worldwide. They range from the tiny bumble-bee bats of Thailand, to the vulture size Fox bats. Their wingspans range from as short as 6 inches to as long as 6 feet in length. Their diet consists primarily of insects, though some species eat nectar and fruits. But, the vampire bats drink blood of other animals. And, remember for your general knowledge -bats are the only mammals that can fly.

The most amazing fact about the bats is that they spend most of their time by hanging upside down! Bats have special kind of feet joints that let them lock their feet in a tightly clasped position (without the use of any muscle), with the weight of the body keeping the foot locked. Bats roost this way by their hind feet. And special valves in their circulatory system keep blood from rushing to their heads as they hang upside down.

But why do the bats hang upside down? There are a few different reasons why bats roost this way. Bats have the ability to go into a form of hibernation at will. This is called torpor. When cold weather reduces feeding opportunities, the bats opt to sleep through the cold by hanging upside down. When a bat is in torpor, it uses little energy to maximize the use of its body fat for surviving through the cold period.

Again, hanging upside down is also a great way to hide from danger. During the day time when predators like “birds of prey” are active, bats huddle up at such secluded spots, like the roof of a cave, the underside of a bridge, the inside of a hollowed-out tree, etc, where enemies wouldn’t think to look or reach.. This allows them safety, until the night.

Another reason for hanging upside down is that it puts them in an ideal position for takeoff. Unlike birds, bats can't fly into the air from the ground. Their wings don't produce enough lift to take off from a dead stop, and their hind legs are so small and underdeveloped that they can't run to build up the necessary takeoff speed. So, they use their front claws to climb to a high spot, and then fall into a flight. By sleeping upside down in a high location, they stay ready to launch, if they need to escape the roost.

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Do you know why lizards lose their tails?

Prof. Know Why explains:

Lizards can lose their tails, but not all lizards can grow them back, though. Lizards that lose their tails also lose an important source of energy because they store fats at the base of their tails.

In lizards, the tail bones have central regions that break away easily when the tail is pulled. The muscles of the tail pull apart and the blood vessels constrict to stop the wounded tail from bleeding. So, if a predator attacks a lizard, the tail is designed such that it separates from the body allowing the lizard to escape while the predator gets the tail. Lizards that lose their tails grow them back but the replacement tail is never as long or as colorful as the original one. Replacement tails grow back in as little as three months or as long as two years.

In short, in order to defend it in a threatening situation, the lizard chooses to detach its tail by contracting a special muscle near a weakness in its vertebrae.

In lizards, especially big ones like Iguanas and Komodo Dragons, the tail bones are not designed to break easily and the tail muscles are also not designed to pull apart smoothly. These lizards however can also lose their tails, but it takes a much stronger pull to make this happen. With these types of lizards, the wound heals like others though, but the tail does not grow back.

Do you know why camels survive without water?

Prof. Know Why explains:

The humps on a camel's back are actually huge heaps of fat and flesh that can weigh as much as 80 pounds in a healthy camel. These humps help camels survive for weeks without food and water.

When water and food become scarce in the deserts where camels roam, the fatty humps serve as stored food and are used for nourishment. As the camel's body metabolizes or uses up the humps' stored fat, the hump becomes smaller and flabbier. So the longer the camel goes without eating, the smaller its hump gets. The size of a camel's hump helps determine a camel's health, food sources, and overall well-being.

These humps, or reserves of fat, are the reason why camels can go for days without water and food. While humans are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, camels can go without water for nearly 2 weeks!

Do you know why dogs bury bones?

Prof. Know Why explains:

Dogs generally do this, trying to save excess food in case there’s a scarcity. Though most of them don’t need to do so being domestic pets, the trait had been actually handed down to them by their ascendants – the wild species of dogs.

This pattern is quite common among the predators in the wild who tend to return to their saved food for future meals. But animals, unfortunately being without etiquettes, never keep away from other’s table (or dish). Thus, hyenas, jackals, vultures and other scavengers (and not to forget their own species) always remain uncalled visitors to the predator’s unfinished prey. As a result the need to hide the left-over arose, giving birth to animal-intelligence of hiding the remains from the public glare. The concept followed and they would bury their food.

Scientists say that most dogs do this out of instinct. As is said, domestic dogs are descendants of wild wolves, who often used to come back to their left over food when they were hungry again.

But, on a lighter note, if one fine day, you find your dog burying a bone, it could simply mean that he has more than enough to eat.