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.”
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