A recent study published in Current Biology suggests that chimpanzees’ “contagious urination” behavior may have deep evolutionary roots. The researchers observed 20 chimpanzees at a zoo for over 600 hours and found that when one chimp peed, others were more likely to follow. This behavior increased with physical proximity and was influenced by social rank.
The study’s findings imply that contagious urination could be an important mechanism for promoting group cohesion, coordination, or reinforcing social bonds in chimpanzees. The researchers propose that this behavior may help “state-matching,” where chimps improve group cohesion by all being in a similar state.
Interestingly, the study found no significant effect of social closeness on the peeing phenomenon, unlike with social yawning. However, other possible explanations for contagious urination include reducing predator detection risks or reinforcing social connections.
The discovery sheds light on the potential evolutionary origins of human social customs, as chimpanzees are our closest living relatives. Further research could provide insights into the behavior of humans and other species, including whether similar contagious urination behaviors exist in wild populations.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/contagious-peeing-may-have-deep-evolutionary-roots-chimp-study-suggests