Dissertation Research: Heterosexual Partner Preferences and Bonding Among Chimpanzees

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This study will take place at The Detroit Zoological Park and will document the formation of male-female affiliative relationships among chimpanzees during and after the introduction of these animals into a newly built six-acre enclosure, one of the largest in any zoo in the world. This study will collect data to test hypotheses about male-female relationships with particular emphasis on the role of sexual behavior in the establishment of these relationships. %%% The study addresses the question: What are the mechanisms that might lead to the development of stable, long-term bonds between adult males and adult females? This issue has been investigated among baboons, but not previously among chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are one of the most important species for understanding the development of strong affiliative relationships between males and females, both because of their advanced cognitive abilities and because their social structure includes aspects that are strikingly similar to humans.