Daily intake of fermented fruit-derived alcohol discovered in chimpanzee diet, according to research study
In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers led by Aleksey Maro have sought to uncover the extent of chimpanzee consumption of ethanol from fermented fruits. The study, which was conducted by researchers based at both American and Ivorian universities, sampled ripe fruit pulp from 20 species in both Uganda and Ivory Coast.
The research team, which also included Robert Dudley, a professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, who formulated the 'Drunken-Monkey Hypothesis' about 20 years ago, used three different methods to ascertain the alcohol content of the sampled fruit. The fruit analysed contained an average of 0.31% to 0.32% ethanol.
Chimpanzees, it seems, consume around 14 grams (0.5 ounces) of ethanol daily, by eating approximately 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) of fruits. This consumption rate, when adjusted for the smaller weight of chimpanzees, is equivalent to a human consuming 2.6 alcoholic drinks per day.
However, Kimberley Hockings, an associate professor at the UK's University of Exeter, noted that chimpanzees are unlikely to get drunk due to their consumption pattern. She stated that the data from the study does not definitively show whether ethanol acts as an attractant for chimpanzees.
Robert Dudley, the senior study author, emphasized the need for additional federal funding for research into alcohol attraction and abuse by modern humans. Dudley's 'drunken monkey' hypothesis has gained support as more evidence emerges, with primatologists observing monkeys and apes eating fermented fruit.
The study's findings suggest a possible deep evolutionary background for modern human alcohol consumption. Dudley suggested that the consumption of ethanol is not limited to primates, but is characteristic of many fruit-eating and nectar-feeding animals.
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