Development of socio-emotional competence in bonobos

Across human development, individuals better able to manage their own emotions show greater social competence and more empathic concern for others. To test this interplay between social and emotional skills in one of our closest relatives, we collected behavioral measures on bonobos (Pan paniscus) with different rearing backgrounds at a forested sanctuary in Africa. Young bonobos showed the same connection between the ability to regulate their own emotions and social competence, such as developing friendships and concern for others. Mother-reared juveniles performed far better in this regard than juveniles orphaned at a young age, thus highlighting the importance of the mother-offspring bond. Our results support a shared socio-emotional framework for human and nonhuman primate behavior.