Scientists find out why chimpanzees kill their neighbors

By Stephen Beech

Chimps in the wild engage in deadly battles with rival troops to increase their reproductive success, suggests new research.

The Ngogo chimps of Uganda’s Kibale National Park have long been known for violent clashes with their primate neighbors, often leading to fatalities - a phenomenon described as “chimpanzee warfare.”

Now, a team of anthropologists has discovered "clear links" between lethal aggression, territorial expansion, and increased reproductive success among wild chimps .

Their study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), offers rare evidence linking lethal conflict to reproductive benefits, providing insight into the evolution of violence.

They say their findings provide the clearest evidence yet that terr