Bonobos have human-like sense of disgust, researchers find

June 4, 2018, Kyoto University

Even bonobos lose their appetites with enough if they experience disgust. These primates, known for their liberal attitudes toward sex, are also generally open-minded when it comes to new foods—as long as it's is clean.

Researchers from Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute have now found that a bonobo's curiosity transforms into caution when food is presented with or near feces, soil, or bad smells. Their study was published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

In nature, parasites and pathogens are everywhere, and can enter the body along with food. Humans have therefore adapted sensitivity to the signs of such pathogens.

"Current studies suggest that animals evolved a system to protect against such threats, now known as the adaptive system of disgust," says Cecile Sarabian, lead author of the study. "For example, bodily fluids are universal disgust elicitors in humans, and recently, we published evidence that the same reaction exists in our primate cousins."

In a series of experiments, bonobos were presented with different food choices involving novel food items: foods contaminated with feces or soil; chains of food items linked to a contaminant; previously contaminated food; or only the odors of feces or rotting food.

Although bonobos happily gobbled up clean food, they steadfastly avoided anything contaminated. Moreover, their sensitivity to contamination risk seemed to wane the farther away a food item was located from the source of contamination.

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