Gorillas Learn From Mum: Study

Lazarus Sauti

Researchers who followed two behaviours they saw in gorillas in captivity to try and figure out how gorillas transmit social learning have found that gorillas learn from their mothers.

According to their study published in PloS One, the first was the ‘puff-blowing’ feeding technique observed in three female gorillas.

This technique involves ‘puffing/blowing air with the mouth onto a mixture of oat grains and chaff in order to separate out the oat grains’, according to the scientists.

The second was a ‘throw-kiss-display’ by a male silverback that had been raised by humans.

Apparently while it lived with its human family, blowing kisses got it more food.

The investigators wrote, “The throw-kiss-display is characterised by bringing one hand to the mouth before quickly flinging the hand away while, at the same time, producing a smacking sound.”

What they found was that over the ten year study period the young raised by the ‘puff-blowing’ females picked that behaviour up.

The researchers go on to say, “These results support previous findings of Byrne and Byrne, who found that mountain gorilla mothers have a crucial impact on the acquisition of distinct feeding techniques of their offspring.”