Is It In Our Genes?

Humans have honed the art of killing other humans into a fine art. Our modern military hardware is proof of that. Biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons are just some examples of the destructiveness of man. Whether we want to kill one person or wipe an entire city off the map, we will know exactly how to go about it.

This is not the case with most other mammals but there are a few exceptions. The most notable of these, is our closest living relative (according to scientists), the chimpanzee. A large proportion of chimpanzee males are on the run their whole lives long, being chased by other chimpanzee males… and killed.

Male chimpanzees patrol the perimeter of their territory in large groups on a daily basis. They will think nothing about raiding a neighboring community, killing all males and infants. And killing is not always enough. Sometimes the victims are tortured before being killed.

But why do they kill each other? Studies have shown that they kill to gain access to females, territory and food resources. Does it sound familiar?

This murderous behavior is not restricted to the males only. Females were often observed to kill infants, and in rare cases to eat them. Observers witnessed an infanticide, where a bleeding mother with a one-week-old child, was pursued by six females, five of which had clinging infants themselves. After a 10-minute struggle, the infant was taken and killed with a bite. These infant killings are more prevalent when food is in short supply.

At first, this behavior was attributed to the interference of man, but countless studies by reputable researchers indicate that it is in their nature to kill off competition. When I compare their behavior with ours, their violent nature makes it easy to believe that we have a common ancestor somewhere in the distant past. Our primal instincts are still very close to the surface.


May you have a pleasant day!