Wild Chimps Ingesting a Daily Dose of One Lager Daily from Ripe Fruit, Study Shows
Chimps in their natural habitat have been found to ingest an amount comparable of one beer's worth of ethanol each day from consuming overripe fruits, as stated by researchers.
They say this provides proof that our species may have developed a preference for alcohol from mutual primate predecessors who depended on alcohol-rich fruits – a source of both sugar and alcohol – for food.
"Human attraction to ethanol probably arose from these eating habits of our common ancestor with chimpanzees," stated a investigator.
Chimps, as with various other species, have been observed feeding on overripe produce lying on the forest floor, but the current study represents the pioneering study to clearly quantify how much alcohol they could be taking in.
Research Methods
Scientists measured the quantity of drinkable alcohol in fruits for example certain fruits eaten in big volumes by primates in areas of the continent.
Using the volume of fruits they typically consume, the chimpanzees were consuming about 14g of alcohol – equivalent to nearly two alcohol measures, or about a single 330ml beer bottle.
Items most frequently ingested were the types with the most ethanol levels.
The 'Drunken Monkey' Theory
This study provides evidence to the known as "tipsy primate" idea – the notion that the human appetite for booze was acquired from ancient relatives.
The concept was first proposed years ago by an academic who acts as a co-researcher on this research.
Experts were at first doubtful. But more observations of "foraging monkeys" have come to light in recent years, according to an ape expert unaffiliated with the study group.
"The insight we gain from such research is that human interaction with ethanol extends far back into our evolutionary past, likely about 30 million years," commented.
"Maybe for apes, this is an effective method to create social bonds, to hang out together on the ground, consuming overripe produce."
Key Considerations
It was essential to highlight that the chimpanzees in the investigation were not ingesting enough alcohol to become drunk. Had they reached that level, "it would certainly reduce their survival chances," commented another expert.
These apes are currently at risk, and the biggest threats they confront include losing their natural habitats to crop cultivation, deforestation and urban expansion.
The paper is featured in a scientific journal.
