Chimpanzee ethnography reveals unexpected cultural diversity

Abstract

Human ethnographic knowledge covers hundreds of societies1-2, whereas chimpanzee ethnography encompasses at most 15 communities. Using termite fishing as a window into the richness of chimpanzee cultural diversity, here we evaluate a potential sampling bias with 39 additional communities across Africa3-5. Previously, termite fishing was known from eight locations with two distinguishable techniques observed in only two communities6-8. Here, we add nine new termite-fishing communities revealing 38 different technical elements as well as community-specific combinations of three to seven elements. Thirty of those were not ecologically constrained, permitting the investigation of chimpanzee termite fishing culture. The number and combination of elements shared among individuals were more similar within than between communities, thus supporting community-majority conformity via social imitation. The variation in community-specific combinations of elements parallels cultural diversity in human greeting norms or chopstick etiquette9,10. We suggest that termite fishing in wild chimpanzees shows some elements of cumulative cultural diversity.