Why can’t we stop feeding monkeys? Experts explain the reasons behind a dangerous habit

Recent research explores what drives this human behaviour.

Tracie McKinney, Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, University of South Wales • conversation
June 12, 2025 • ~7 min

Inside the chimpanzee medicine cabinet: we’ve found a new way chimps treat wounds with plants

The plants chimpanzees use to treat their wounds have been found to have medicinal properties.

Elodie Freymann, Post-doc affiliate, University of Oxford • conversation
June 11, 2025 • ~7 min

Our ape cousins show us empathy has deep evolutionary roots – new research

It may be time to move on from species stereotypes.

Zanna Clay, Professor in the Department of Psychology, Durham University • conversation
April 30, 2025 • ~6 min

How scratching monkeys can help us understand emotions and consciousness

And a recent study found subtle but fascinating differences in the behaviour-emotion connection in humans and monkeys.

Bonaventura Majolo, Professor of Social Evolution, University of Lincoln • conversation
March 26, 2025 • ~8 min

What makes the human brain unique? We compared it with monkeys and apes to find out

Advances in technology are making it easier to explore this question.

Katherine Bryant, Postdoctural Fellow in Neuroscience , Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) • conversation
March 24, 2025 • ~7 min

How we revealed the life story of PG Tips chimp – written in her bones

The study allowed researchers to assess the impact of changing zoo practices over the last 50 years.

Juliette Waterman, Postdoctoral Researcher in Isotope zooarchaeology, University of Reading • conversation
March 24, 2025 • ~5 min

How primate eye tracking reveals new insights into the evolution of language

How apes make sense of actions is shedding new light on the evolution of a key component of human language.

Vanessa Wilson, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Hull • conversation
Dec. 6, 2024 • ~7 min

Monkeys know who will win the election – primal instincts humans share with them shape voters’ choices

Every human brain still holds primitive instincts that we share with our monkey ancestors. Is that part of your brain in charge when you cast your ballot?

Michael Platt, Professor of Marketing and Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania • conversation
Nov. 1, 2024 • ~8 min

Lucy, discovered 50 years ago in Ethiopia, stood just 3.5 feet tall − but she still towers over our understanding of human origins

A photo of Lucy’s reconstructed skeleton next to a live four-year-old girl shows how human Lucy was – and how small.

Denise Su, Associate Professor of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University • conversation
June 27, 2024 • ~4 min

Why so many animals have a third eyelid, including our pets – yet humans don’t

It’s a question of evolution and adaptation.

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol • conversation
May 16, 2024 • ~7 min

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