In the movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), we see how a chimpanzee with superior intelligence leads a fierce group of apes to take over the city. It’s common knowledge that monkeys are some of the smartest species in the animal kingdom and the movie can make you wonder if something similar to this is ever possible to happen. Now if there’s one thing we are sure about, it has to be chimpanzee strength, which is many more times the strength of humans.
Dr. Jane Goodall, a
famous primatologist, said in an interview with Discover Magazine that there
was an incident involving her and a chimpanzee that made her conclude that the chimpanzee
strength is eight times her own strength. Take note that Dr. Goodall has a
slender body frame.
To compare with an
average man, a chimpanzee is three to five times stronger. It’s hard to
determine though if a chimpanzee is capable of winning a tug of war against the
world’s strongest man. The general conclusion among experts is this: the
chimpanzee is twice stronger than some people and eight times stronger than
others.
Why are chimpanzees
strong?
Chimpanzee
strength can be accounted to numerous factors such as body
structure, muscular build, semi-arboreal lifestyle, genetics, and the
interaction between the chimpanzee’s nervous system and musculature system.
According to Dr. John Hawks, an Anthropology Associate Professor at the
University of Wisconsin, the combination of genetics and skeletal muscle
structure of the chimpanzee is one significant part of chimpanzee strength.
For one, the
chimpanzees’ muscle fibers are much longer than those of man, giving them the
ability to produce twice more work output over a wider range of motion. Dr.
Hawks also explained that some genes influencing muscle development are not
present anymore in humans but can still be found in the chimpanzees.
Dr. Ann MacLamon, a
primatologist, did a research that found that the chimpanzee’s motor neurons in
the spinal cord responsible for muscle function control are more prevalent than
in humans. This phenomenon gives the chimpanzees easier access to greater
muscle power, enabling them to use a lot more of their potential strength.
Is chimpanzee strength a danger to man?
In February 2009, a
chimpanzee attacked and seriously injured a woman. If the chimpanzee escaped
from the wild, this would not have been a big shock. But in this scenario, the
chimpanzee named Travis was actually a pet who has been trained by his owner
for 14 years. In fact, he has been taught to wear clothes, drink wine and even
interact with people in the neighborhood. The attack prompted a police officer
to shoot and kill him before he could do the same to his victim.
Dr. Franz de Waal, a
biologist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, confirmed
that this was no big surprise. This is normal behavior from an adult chimpanzee
that would be useful in the wild, but is definitely hazardous in a human
household. Dr. Waal described Travis as a “time bomb” waiting to burst any
minute. The chimpanzee’s innate biological behavior and great strength make it
unsuitable as pet.
Both Dr. Goodall and
Dr. Waal said that chimpanzees attack not because of any negative emotion.
Attacking is an instinct that allows them to determine how stronger they are
than the competition. In captivity, competition is directed against human
beings, as there are no other chimpanzees around. And while they do not know
exactly their strength, they can easily discover that they are stronger than
humans.
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