Chimps Seen Cracking Open Tortoise Shells—a First

One adult male even appeared to save half of his hard-shelled snack for later—an intriguing sign of future planning

New Research

Bonobo Mothers Interfere in Their Sons’ Monkey Business

They find suitable mates for their offspring and chase away intruders once the mating begins, boosting fertility rates

A juvenile male gorilla lingers beside his mother's body

Gorillas Appear to Grieve for Their Dead

Scientists found that expressions of grief even extended beyond members of the same peer group

Grady's mother gave birth via caesarean section on April 16, 2018

Baby Monkey Born Using Frozen Testicular Tissue, Giving Hope for Infertile Childhood Cancer Survivors

Around 30 percent of pediatric cancer patients are rendered infertile by chemotherapy or radiation treatments

Around 20 percent of the time, the bears returned a playmate’s expression within one second of seeing it

Sun Bears Mimic Each Other’s Facial Expressions to Communicate

Previously, precise facial mimicry has only been observed in humans and gorillas

The blue-fronted Amazon parrot lives up to 66 years in the wild.

Parrot Genes Reveal Why the Birds Are So Clever, Long-Lived

Researchers say the avian creatures are as genetically distant from other birds as humans are from other primates

Orangutan mothers waited an average of seven minutes before alerting infants to a potential predator's presence

Orangutans Are the Only Non-Human Primates Capable of ‘Talking’ About the Past

Mothers waited several minutes before alerting offspring to potential predators, pointing toward capacity for displaced referencing

The unusual primate has baffled scientists since its discovery in 1920

DNA Analysis Offers Insights on Origins of Extinct Jamaican Monkey

The unusual creature had few teeth, rodent-like legs, a squat body and a slow-paced lifestyle

Researchers say the shift in laugh patterns doesn't appear to be linked with any major developmental milestones

Babies Share Same Laugh Patterns as Chimpanzees

Unlike adults, who tend to laugh while exhaling, infants let giggles loose while both inhaling and exhaling

Study suggests that early humans had opposable, ape-like big toes built for grasping

Researchers Suggest Big Toe Was Last Part of Foot to Evolve

Early hominins’ big toes were equipped for life on the ground and in the trees

Bonobos are known to make at least 38 distinct calls

New Research

Why Humans Are the Only Primates Capable of Talking

New study suggests ape vocalizations vary according to neural abilities, not vocal anatomy

Even at three-and-a-half months, the inquisitive Moke has already begun to explore his surroundings and approach the other members of his troop.

At Nearly Four Months Old, the Zoo’s Youngest Gorilla Has Begun to Show His Rambunctious Roots

Moke, the National Zoo’s first infant gorilla in nine years, enlivens the primate house with chatter and play.

This photograph of a Japanese macaque, who isn't showing its top teeth in a fear grimace or forced into human clothing, would be considered up to snuff.

Stock Photo Agencies Agree to Pull ‘Unnatural’ Images of Primates

PETA had lobbied against images that perpetuate harmful misconceptions about the animals

New Research

Extinct Gibbon Species Discovered in 2,000-Year-Old Chinese Tomb

It’s believed the species represents a new genera of apes that may have died out just 300 years ago

Swabbing a chimp's nest.

New Research

Your Bed Is Dirtier Than a Chimp’s

Human beds have far more bacteria associated with skin, saliva and feces than the nests of our primate cousins

Nisarg Desai observes wild chimps known as Sandi, Ferdinand and Siri in Tanzania.

What Can Chimpanzee Calls Tell Us About the Origins of Human Language?

Scientists follow and record chimps in the wild to find out if they talk to each other—and to fill in details about how and why language evolved in humans

In the minutes after giving birth, 15-year-old Calaya cradled her newborn in her arms.

First Infant Gorilla Born at the Zoo in Nine Years; Watch a Video of the Birth

Little Moke and his first-time mother Calaya are doing well

Many animals, like this red sphinx cat, are bred to be hairless. Other times, animal baldness is a symptom of stress and other factors.

Ask Smithsonian

Do Other Animals Besides Humans Go Bald?

From Andean bears to Rhesus macaques, non-human mammals have hair woes of their own

Scientists Successfully Clone Monkeys, Breaking New Ground in a Controversial Field

It is the first time that scientists have successfully cloned primates using a method known as somatic cell nuclear transfer

Humans Like Helpers, But Bonobos Prefer Bullies

A new study has found that bonobos gravitate towards characters that push and steal toys

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