New research shows that self-medicine in wild chimpanzees has been observed to provide wounds to plants, provide medical assistance to other chimpanzees, and even remove others from small nets left by human hunters.

These behaviors were documented in a new study published Wednesday in the journal Evolution and Ecology - providing new clues to the origins of human health care.

The study combines historical data with new observations over about eight months, including many observations captured in videos and photos. It provides additional evidence that our closest relatives will chew plants and apply temporary furniture to the wound, clean other animals’ wounds by licking them, and use leaves for sanitation scrubs after sexual acts or defecation. Chimpanzees can also be seen pressing the wound and immersing the medicine leaves into the wound.

As a result, especially when they provide evidence that uncareful chimpanzees are in the debate over whether humans are the only species that can provide prosocial or selfless parenting for others, this provides new fuel for others.

"One of the things that humans have always insisted on is that we are this very special species because we have altruism and we have the ability to empathize," said Elodie Freymann, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University and the first author of the study. "The animals are helping each other. They have the ability to identify other people in need and then address those specific needs."

Another primate, chimpanzees and bob bones, are the closest genetic relatives to humans. This study adds to increasing research, suggesting that the concept of healthcare may have evolved millions of years before humans became a species.

“Our common ancestors are likely to be able to adopt these behaviors of care as well,” Freman said.

A growing number of studies suggest that other animal species may self-treat, with varying degrees of maturity. For example, elephants have shown that humans use to consume leaves for medicinal purposes, and some researchers suggest that these animals are meeting specific needs, such as digestion.

The number of studies on animal drug behavior is increasing, and outside researchers say this is important evidence that can open windows to our human past.

“In our ancestors, we had examples of human health care since Neanderthals and even before, but it’s very interesting that we still don’t fully understand how this exploratory behavior develops,” said Alessandra Mascaro, Alessandra Mascaro, who is at the Osnabrück University in Dermany of Cape of Cape of Cape in Germany. “We’re just scratching the surface. ”

In 2022, Mascaro published a study that showed that chimpanzees in Gabon applied insects to wounds, and she hoped more observations would help determine how animals develop this behavior.

Studying chimpanzees’ drug behaviors is challenging to do because these behaviors are relatively rare.

In this study, Freymann spent two months in the Budongo Forest in Uganda, following the familiarity of wild chimpanzees with human researchers that they would ignore their presence. Probably physically, requiring to follow the chimpanzee.

“Sometimes, you can sit at the bottom of a tree when they eat for eight hours, and you can cut the vines on the vines, cross the river and stick to the clay pits – your day is entirely up to the feeling of the team,” Freymann said.

Freymann observed several examples of chimpanzee care behavior. She also encountered historic observation logs conducted in the field of research, including examples that were not suitable for previous studies. She discovered a model of health care that dates back to the 1990s.

“When people put together their results and observations, you can start to see these amazing stories,” she said.

The study said that between its own observations, logs and other data sources, Freeman recorded wound care in 341 chimpanzees, including 34 self-care incidents and 7 care for others. The four other instances involving animals were not closely related.

"The findings suggest that certain types of prosocial behaviors against non-metals may be more common than previously thought," said Isabelle Laumer, a primitive and cognitive biologist at the Max Planck School of Animal Behavior, who is not involved in the new study. "A more detailed investigation is needed."

Mascaro, who studies the healthy behavior of chimpanzees in Gabon, said new research in Uganda shows that chimpanzees at different geographical locations exhibit medical behavior, which strengthens confidence that such behavior is common in species geography.

"We don't know much about chimpanzees on the other side of Africa," Mascaro said.

Self-medication has been recorded in other primates. Laumer published a study last year that showed that an orangutan in Indonesia repeatedly chewed leaves and applied material to the wound to heal the wounds that were injured in the battle. The plants used by orangutans to administer medicine are not usually eaten by the species, but are called painkillers in humans.

Broadly speaking, this line of research suggests that primates are able to find and determine the drug value of plants.

"Chimps not only relies on forests, not only for food, but also on shelter, but also on shelters," Freman said. He added that it is important to maintain the dependence of primates in forest resources.

She added that humans may have learned from these organisms and developed their past feelings about medicinal plants. She suggested that pharmaceutical companies could use the knowledge of these animals to identify useful medical resources.

“If we want to hone these amazing medicinal resources, watching and learning from animals is a very effective way to do it if it is done morally and responsibly,” Freman said.