Social Skills & Interactions:
* Grooming: Chimpanzees spend a significant amount of time grooming each other. Mothers teach their infants how to groom properly, both as a way to maintain hygiene and strengthen social bonds.
* Play: Play is vital for learning and development. Mothers encourage their infants to play, teaching them social cues, how to interact with others, and how to resolve conflicts.
* Communication: Mothers teach their infants the intricate system of chimpanzee communication, including vocalizations, gestures, and facial expressions. This includes specific calls for food, danger, or social interaction.
* Social Hierarchy: Chimpanzees live in complex social groups with established hierarchies. Mothers teach their infants how to navigate this social structure, understanding the roles and relationships of different individuals.
Survival Skills:
* Foraging: Mothers teach their infants where to find food, how to identify edible plants, and how to use tools to extract food. This can include techniques like cracking nuts with rocks or using sticks to fish for termites.
* Nest Building: Mothers teach their infants how to build safe and comfortable nests for sleeping. This is a crucial survival skill for protecting themselves from predators and inclement weather.
* Predator Avoidance: Mothers teach their infants how to recognize potential threats and how to react appropriately. They demonstrate behaviors like hiding, climbing trees, or making alarm calls.
* Travel and Navigation: Mothers teach their infants how to navigate their territory, remembering important landmarks and routes to find food or water.
Emotional Intelligence:
* Empathy: Mothers teach their infants to recognize and respond to the emotions of others, showing compassion and understanding.
* Problem-Solving: Mothers encourage their infants to explore their environment, solve problems independently, and learn from their mistakes.
* Self-Awareness: Mothers help their infants develop self-awareness and understand their own emotions, needs, and strengths.
It's important to note that the specific skills a mother teaches her infant can vary based on the individual mother, her social group, and the environment. However, the principles of teaching social skills, survival skills, and emotional intelligence are fundamental to the development of young chimpanzees.