Evolutionary change can be generated not only by natural selection but by cultural transmission as well. The definition of cultural behavior by biological sciences, is “one that repeatedly transmitted through social or observational learning to become a population-level characteristic” (Whiten et Al, 1999). Although there is no agreement about the definition of culture among different disciplines, according to this approach culture can occur animal societies as well!

In chimpanzee societies, not only single behavior repertoires (e.g. dialects of song-birds) but also different combinations of behavioral patterns (e.g. courtship, grooming) were observed. There are some behavioral patterns which are present in a chimpanzee community but not in another. Each community has its own profile of behavioral pattern combination. For example, the nut-cracking behavior is only present in the west of the Sassandra-N’Zo river but not in the eastern populations. The river can be seen as a natural preventer of the cultural transmission.

Not only different behavioral patterns but also different versions of the same behavior can develop. For example, there are differences in the way of coping with the ectoparasites during grooming.

The process of cultural transmission is probably transmitters in the same way as among humans: chimpanzees learn through the combination of social learning (e.g. imitative learning: copy each other) and individual learning. It is very interesting that there is a parallel between chimpanzees and humans regard to their behavioral complexity as well!

This writing is based on the article by Whiten, Goodall and others which was a systematic analysis of seven long-term studies.