Are there more humans than gathering in groups to share food and participate in a fermented drink or two (or three, or…)? Researchers are engaged in what appears to be similar activities, catching wild chimpanzees with cameras. It shares fermented African breadfruit with a measurable alcohol content. According to New paper Observation data published in the Journal Current Biology is the first evidence of alcoholic food sharing among wild, nonhuman apes.
The fruit in question is seasonal and origin Treculia africana A common tree in the entire home environment of wild chimpanzees in the Qantanhes National Park in Guinea Bissau. Upon maturation, the fruit falls from the tree to the ground and slowly ripens from the hard, deep green outside to a yellow spongy texture. Since chimpanzees were not exempted, the author deployed camera traps in three separate locations to record feeding and sharing behaviors.
They recorded 10 instances of selective fruit sharing among 17 chimpanzees, showing that animals significantly prefer ripe fruits. Between April and July 2022, the authors measured the alcohol content of fruits with a handy portable sucker and found that almost all of the fallen fruits (90%) contained ethanol and the ripe had the highest levels.
This is usually relatively low in alcoholic drinks consumed by humans, but again, fruits make up 60-80% of chimpanzee diets, so the amount of ethanol consumed can increase quickly. However, the chances of chimpanzees getting drunk are very low. It does not bring about evolutionary benefits. According to the authors, there is evidence in the common ancestors of African apes of molecular mechanisms that enhance the ability to metabolize alcohol.
