Bonobos settle fights with sex, not violence, and females run the group

Unlike chimpanzees, bonobos rarely fight to the death. Primatologist Frans de Waal documented how bonobo groups defuse tension over food, status or strangers through casual sexual contact, especially genital rubbing between females, who then band together to outrank males. It's one of the only great-ape societies where females hold the power.

— Frans de Waal, Peacemaking Among Primates — Harvard University Press, 1989
Go deeper: get the book →

One credited idea per card. No filler. Swipe the rest in Savvy.

Keep swiping — it's free Works right in your browser. No app store needed.

More Nature

All Nature cards →
More from Frans B. M. de Waal →

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.