Research finds primates seek high ground to ascertain size and proximity of other groups before advancing or retreating
The tactic is so effective when the enemy is near that Sun Tzu recommends it in The Art of War: “He who occupies the high ground,” the Chinese general declared in the ancient military treatise, “will fight to advantage”.
But soldiers are not alone in having hit on the idea. Troops of chimpanzees in Ivory Coast have taken up the same strategy, researchers say, scaling hilltops for recce missions and advancing if the enemy is distant or outnumbered.
“These military tactics that we see in humans – the importance of high ground – is maybe something that’s deeply rooted in our evolutionary past,” said Sylvain Lemoine, a primatologist at the University of Cambridge and lead author on the study.
“The chimps go up the hill, stop there, and, based on the information they gather, either carry on or retreat,” he said. “The high ground enables them to get information on their neighbours, especially the number, and how far away they are.”
Continues...
www.theguardian.com
The tactic is so effective when the enemy is near that Sun Tzu recommends it in The Art of War: “He who occupies the high ground,” the Chinese general declared in the ancient military treatise, “will fight to advantage”.
But soldiers are not alone in having hit on the idea. Troops of chimpanzees in Ivory Coast have taken up the same strategy, researchers say, scaling hilltops for recce missions and advancing if the enemy is distant or outnumbered.
“These military tactics that we see in humans – the importance of high ground – is maybe something that’s deeply rooted in our evolutionary past,” said Sylvain Lemoine, a primatologist at the University of Cambridge and lead author on the study.
“The chimps go up the hill, stop there, and, based on the information they gather, either carry on or retreat,” he said. “The high ground enables them to get information on their neighbours, especially the number, and how far away they are.”
Continues...
Chimps use military-style tactics to gain advantage on rivals, study reveals
Research reveals primates seek high ground to ascertain size and proximity of other groups before advancing or retreating
www.theguardian.com
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