DiscoverLife SolvedThe secret social lives of primates: What chimps and monkeys reveal about human nature
The secret social lives of primates: What chimps and monkeys reveal about human nature

The secret social lives of primates: What chimps and monkeys reveal about human nature

Update: 2025-11-27
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How similar are we to our closest living relatives? Closer than you might think - and the latest research is revealing just how much we share with chimpanzees and monkeys.


In this episode of Life Solved, we speak to two experts from the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, who are passionate about the deep evolutionary roots of human intelligence.


Dr Esther Herrmann and Dr Marine Joly explain how studying our closest evolutionary cousins helps us understand what makes us human, why complex social groups drive cognitive evolution, and what our responsibility is to protect these remarkable, intelligent creatures.


Production team:

Robyn Austin-Montague

Lauren Harrison

Jaelithe Swan


Music:

Music bed by Korolkov Production

Wildlife sounds captured by Dr Jerome Micheletta


Learn more links:

Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology | University of Portsmouth

Dr Esther Herrmann's chimpanzee rationality study

Dr Marine Joly's macaque impulse control research

Science is Wonderful EU Event

Many Primates Project



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The secret social lives of primates: What chimps and monkeys reveal about human nature

The secret social lives of primates: What chimps and monkeys reveal about human nature