And only some groups of these apes perform the handclasp. Grooming itself is a social behavior that does more than clean the chimps: It is also a bonding experience, a way to relax and an action that defers to the hierarchy of the chimp community.

Read: What Monkey Brains and Social Behavior Tell Us About Human Minds Scientists studying the behavior in Zambia said it’s a “group-level cultural tradition in chimpanzees” rather than one passed down from mothers to their young. But the exact form this rare chimp handshake varies among groups, with some gripping each other’s palms and the others gripping wrists depending on what group they were in.

AndrewsĬhimpanzees want to fit in with the popular kids, just like humans do - researchers say chimps will change their behavior to match what others are doing.Ī study in the journal Current Biology points to a specific type of behavior in these apes called the “grooming handclasp.” It’s exactly what it sounds like: Two animals engaged in the social interaction of grooming will clasp one another’s hands. The behavior’s origin shows chimps can form and adhere to cultures just like humans. Some chimpanzees clasp hands while grooming, a behavior they acquire in groups rather than learn from their families.

Chimpanzee hand clasp