Spatial cohesion of adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire

Adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, exhibit remarkable spatial cohesion even when out of visual range, suggesting active mechanisms—likely involving auditory communication—to maintain group unity during fission-fusion dynamics. High-resolution GPS tracking over three years revealed that males remained within auditory range (<1 km) for 70% of the time when separated into different parties, with median inter-individual distances (IIDs) averaging 73 meters and mean IIDs at 483 meters. These findings challenge assumptions about group cohesion in dense forest environments and highlight the importance of acoustic signals in primate social behavior.

Eckhardt, N., Polansky, L., & Boesch, C. (2014). Spatial cohesion of adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. American Journal of Primatology, 77(2), 125–134. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22316