Bonobo

The bonobo (buh NO bo), formerly called pygmy chimpanzee, is the most human-like of all of the other animals. The common chimpanzee a close second, and the gorilla third. There is no bonobo at the Kansas City Zoo. It is an endangered species and is found in the wild only in the Democrataic Republic of Congo. Two bonobos have been taught a vocabulary of over 3,000 words, which they can type on a special keyboard, and can respond to spoken sentences. On the basis of this, some philosophers argue that they are entitled to the rights of humans. In his book, "Before the Dawn," Nicholas Wade, a writer for the Science Times section of the New York Times, states that mankind has inherited the DNA of both the chimps and bonobos. This is significant, he states, because chimps are war-like and male dominated, whereas the bonobos live and cooperate in groups and are peaceful. Wade explains this difference by pointing out that the chimps have to compete with gorillas for food and territory, whereas bonobos do not because there are no gorillas in bonobo territory. This difference in how easy it is to get food may have shaped their different social organizations and personalities. As a result of humans having inherited the DNA of both animals, mankind has both tendencies: not completely warlike nor completely peaceful.