Cross-Fostering

Response to the project being undertaken by Daniel Povinelli, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

I am writing with regard to the proposed experiment to study the difference in the development of reasoning and the subsequent way of reasoning between chimpanzees and humans.

I have not yet seen the actual proposal. However, based on information received, I understand it is planned to cross-foster infant chimpanzees in human homes. They would subsequently be removed to a research environment.

Cross-fostering is very unethical in my view. Even when captive infant chimps are rejected by their mothers they should be introduced into groups of their own species as soon as possible. Failure to do this results in long term, sometimes permanent, behavioural disorders. Like young human children, chimp children learn by observing and interacting with adult conspecifics. Detailed observations have been made in the past by psychologists on a number of home raised chimpanzees. In my view there can be little justification for further separation of infant chimpanzees from their social groups for the purpose of humanizing them for research.

The reasoning abilities of many captive chimpanzees have been studied by a number of different observers. The work of Savage & Rumbaugh and Fouts has already led to new ways of self-expression for certain mentally disabled children and adults. Further refinements along these lines can be developed based on the data that already exist.

Perhaps Daniel Povinelli could rethink his experiment and conduct his research by setting tests for infant chimpanzees in a normal group setting. These infants really behave like chimpanzees, and not like rather unusual human children. This might give better answers to the questions that interest the researcher. A final area of concern lies in the terrible trauma experienced by cross fostered infants when the bonds with their human parents are severed. This invariably leads to severe depression. The infliction of such mental suffering is, in my view, unethical. These are our closest relatives, sharing 98.6% of our DNA. Their brains are more like ours than those of any other creatures. And there are striking similarities in social behaviour, intellectual performance and expression of emotions. We should treat these beings with the respect they deserve and not as subjects for what appears to be unnecessary research.

Jane Goodall, PhD

5th July 2000