Fairness in Primates

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An experiment with Capuchin monkeys showed that they react strongly to unfair treatment, as one monkey became visibly upset and threw away the cucumber it received when the other monkey received a grape. This highlights that even lower primates have a sense of fairness. Additionally, studies on chimpanzees revealed that their leadership contests often involved candidates offering food or other favors instead of resorting to physical violence, demonstrating a form of politics among the primates.

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