An unusual incident of adoption in a wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) population at Gombe National Park

Allomothering and adoption are well documented across primate species. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of such behavior according to the costs and benefits to the caregiver, mother, and infant. Permanent adoptions and allomothering have been observed in chimpanzees, but they typically involve the infants' siblings or nulliparous females. Here, I report a unique incident of adoption where an infant was adopted by its grandmother without the death of its mother. I conclude by considering how the adoption may have benefited the grandmother, mother, and infant. Am. J. Primatol. 70:995–998, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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