Bonobos are a type of chimpanzee (also known as Pygmy Chimps, because they are of a slighter build) that only live in one part of the world - Wamba, Zaire. Although research has shown us just how close apes are to us, the Bonobos are more extraordinary than any of the other species (including normal chimps).

Posture

One notable aspect of Bonobos is that they spend much of their time walking upright like hominids. The characteristic that differentiates a hominid from a simian is not so much the upright posture, but the movement of the hip. Apes have hips more suited to their movement, so when they walk upright, they sway from side to side.

Bonobos not only seem more comfortable walking upright than other chimps and apes, but they also have a different hip structure, thus they sway less. Some scientists would say their hip bone is almost half way between normal chimp and human. This has prompted many to point to similarities in our supposed evolution, as contemporary theory suggests that we were fully hominid possibly before the Australopithecines.

Many have suggested mankind began to walk upright as to free the hands for carrying items. This seems almost proven when studying Bonobos; long stretches of walking upright are usually because of them carrying things (though they do walk upright while empty-handed, it is generally quicker to get around on all fours).

One amazing thing that has been discovered while studying Bonobos is the importance of upright posture in the development of language. Since Bonobos spend so much time upright, their voice boxes are freer to make a greater variety of sounds than their hunched cousins. Many excited specimens have been observed making sounds like human children crying or playing.

Bonobo Society

As soon as you look at the make up of Bonobo society, you cannot help but see how it differs from that of their cousins. For a start, it is a matriarchal society, with alpha males being secondary to alpha females. Males will stay with their mother for most of their lives; those who do not have the backing of an alpha female will never assume positions of power.

Another marked difference with Bonobos is that they have substituted sex for violence, even between members of the same sex. Bonobos in an agitated state are soon soothed by sexual advances, so their collective is free of the violence of other chimps.

Many see this as encouraging, at least when looking at the evolution of man philosophically. Just as evidence that chimps engage in warfare between tribes prompted many to say that violence and war had been inevitable for humans, the peaceful conduct of Bonobos has prompted others to re-examine that idea.