Bonobo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bonobo |
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Bonobos at the Cincinnati Zoo | |
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Pan paniscus Schwarz, 1929
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Bonobo distribution |
The bonobo, Pan paniscus, is a great ape and the smaller of the two species making up the genus Pan (the other is Pan troglodytes, the common chimpanzee). The bonobo is sometimes called the dwarf or pygmy chimpanzee. Although the name "chimpanzee" is sometimes used to refer to both species together, it is usually understood to mean the common chimpanzee, while Pan paniscus is usually referred to as the bonobo.
The bonobo lives in rain forest, in a 500,000 km2 (190,000 sq mi) area south of the Congo River. This is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa.
Bonobos are matriarchal and a male's rank in the social hierarchy is often determined by his mother's rank.
The two chimpanzee species are separated by the huge Congo River. Its formation 1.5–2 million years ago may have led to the speciation of the bonobo. Their population is between 29,000 and 50,000 individuals. The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is threatened by habitat destruction, human population growth and commercial poaching. The bonobo lives for about 40 years in captivity, though its lifespan in the wild is unknown.
Images for kids
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Bonobos Kanzi (C) and Panbanisha (R) with Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and the outdoor symbols "keyboard"
See also
In Spanish: Bonobo para niños