Researchers documented a permanent split in the largest-known group of wild chimpanzees that erupted into lethal violence over the past several years, the study said.
The research traced 30 years of chimpanzee behavior in Kibale and found that intra-group hostilities escalated into what the authors called a civil war, producing a lasting division among the animals, the study reported.
The study said the long-term data offer rare insight into how sustained group conflict can emerge and persist. The researchers said the findings could help scientists better understand the roots of human conflict.
The study was published Thursday in the journal Science, and the authors attributed their conclusions to observations gathered over three decades in the field, the paper said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
