Chimpanzees console each other with hugs and kisses after a conflict much like humans do, researchers have discovered. After a chimp has been the victim of aggression, its stress levels are greatly reduced when it's embraced by another. The findings reveal a level of empathy in man's closest relative that is absent in monkeys, said a primate expert.
"Chimpanzees calm distressed recipients of aggression by consoling them with a friendly gesture," a researcher told AP. "This study removes doubt that consolation really does what the term suggests: provides relief to distressed parties after conflict. The evidence is compelling and makes it likely that consolation behavior is an expression of empathy."