Lethal aggression, territory, and fitness in wild chimpanzees
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Dec-2025 22:11 ET (26-Dec-2025 03:11 GMT/UTC)
The Ngogo chimpanzees of Uganda’s Kibale National Park have long been known for violent clashes with neighboring groups, often resulting in deaths — a phenomenon sometimes described as “chimpanzee warfare.”
Now, a new study led by UCLA anthropologist Brian Wood, in collaboration with John Mitani of the University of Michigan, provides the clearest evidence yet that territorial expansion after lethal conflict can directly boost reproductive success. Following a series of coordinated attacks that claimed at least 21 lives, the Ngogo group’s territory grew by 22%. In the years that followed, females gave birth more often, and their infants were far more likely to survive.
New research from Dartmouth reveals that artificial intelligence can now corrupt public opinion surveys at scale—passing every quality check, mimicking real humans, and manipulating results without leaving a trace. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show just how vulnerable polling has become.
A Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey shows most U.S. consumers plan to spend about $100 on their main holiday meal this year. As food costs continue to rise, the Physicians Committee, a national nonprofit health advocacy group, has tips for slashing that number in half.