Studying wild apes to understand what it means to be human

2024

Koops, K. & Wrangham, R.W. (2024) Christophe Boesch (1951–2024), primatologist and chimpanzee champion. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00638-z

Eppley, T. M., Reuter, K. E., Sefczek, T. M., Tinsman, J., Santini, L., Hoeks, S., Andriantsaralaza, S., Shanee, S., Fiore, A. D., Setchell, J. M., Strier, K. B., Abanyam, P. A., Mutalib, A. H. A., Abwe, E., Ahmed, T., Ancrenaz, M., Andriantsimanarilafy, R. R., Ang, A., Aureli, F., …Koops, K.,…. Mittermeier, R. A. (2024). Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment. Conservation Letters: e13007. 

Koops, K., Akankwasa, W., Camara, H. D., Fitzgerald, M., Keir, A., Mamy, G., Matsuzawa, T., Péter, H., Vicent, K., Zuberbühler, K., & Hobaiter, C. (2024). Flexible grouping patterns in a western and eastern chimpanzee community. American Journal of Primatology: e23593.


2023

Koops, K., Biro, D., Matsuzawa, T., McGrew W.C. and Carvalho, S. (2023). Appropriate knowledge of wild chimpanzee behavior (‘know-what’) and field experimental protocols (‘know-how’) are essential prerequisites for testing the origins and spread of technological behavior. Response to “Unmotivated subjects cannot provide interpretable data and tasks with sensitive learning periods require appropriately aged subjects” by C. Tennie and J. Call. Animal Behavior and Cognition 10: 163-168.  

Koops, K., Humle, T., Frandsen, P., Fitzgerald, M., D'Auvergne, L., Jackson, H. A., Børsting, C., Siegismund, H. R., Soumah, A. G. and Hvilsom, C. (2023). Genetics as a novel tool in mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of critically endangered western chimpanzees in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. Conservation Science and Practice: e12898.

Koops, K., Arandjelovic, M., Hobaiter, C., Kalan, A., Luncz, L., Musgrave, S., Samuni, L., Sanz, S. and Carvalho, S. (2023) Chimpanzee culture in context: Comment on “Blind alleys and fruitful pathways in the comparative study of cultural cognition“ by Andrew Whiten. Physics of Life Reviews 44: 77-80.

Koops, K. (2023) The puzzle of Pan tool use: Why are bonobos so different from chimpanzees in their use of tools? In T. Furuichi, G. Idani, D. Kimura, H. Ihobe and C. Hashimoto (Eds.), Bonobos and People at Wamba: Fifty-Years of Research. Springer Nature.


2022

Koops, K. and Sanz, C. (2022) Progress and prospects in primate tool use and cognition. In B. L. Schwartz & M. J. Beran (Eds.), Primate Cognitive Studies. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/sp6wj

Koops, K. (2022) Animal behavior: Monkeys use tools for diet quality, not quantity. Current Biology 32: 1037-1039.

Scully, E.J., Liu, W., Li, Y., Ndjango, J.N., Peeters, M., Kamenya, S., Pusey, A.E., Lonsdorf, E.V., Sanz, C.M., Morgan, D.B., Piel, A.K., Stewart, F.A., Gonder, M.K., Simmons, N., Asiimwe, C., Zuberbühler, K., Koops, K., Chapman, C.A., Chancellor, R., Rundus, A., Huffman, M.A., Wolfe, N.D., Duraisingh, M.T., Hahn, B.H. and Wrangham, R.W. (2022) The ecology and epidemiology of malaria parasitism in wild chimpanzee reservoirs. Communications Biology 5: 1-14.

Mearing, A.S., Burkart, J.M., Dunn, J., Street, S.E. and Koops, K. (2022) The evolutionary drivers of primate scleral coloration. Scientific Reports 12: 14119.

Koops, K., Soumah, A.G., van Leeuwen, K.L., Camara, H.D. and Matsuzawa, T. (2022) Field experiments find no evidence that chimpanzee nut cracking can be independently innovated. Nature Human Behaviour 6: 487-494.

Fitzgerald, M., Willems, E.P., Soumah, A.G., Matsuzawa, T. and Koops, K. (2022) To drum or not to drum: Selectivity in tree buttress drumming by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. American Journal of Primatology: e23382.

Carvalho, S., Wessling, E.G, Abwe, E.E., Almeida-Warren, K., Arandjelovic, M., Boesch, C., Danquah, E., Diallo, M.S., Hobaiter, C., Hockings, K., Humle, T., Ikemeh, R.A., Kalan, A.K., Luncz, L., Ohashi, G., Pascual-Garrido, A., Piel, A., Samuni, L., Soiret, S., Sanz, C. and Koops, K. (2022) Using non-human culture in conservation requires careful and concerted action. Conservation Letters: e12860.


2021

Mearing, A. and Koops, K. (2021) Quantifying gaze conspicuousness: Are humans distinct from chimpanzees and bonobos? Journal of Human Evolution 157: 103043.

Heinicke, S., Ordaz-Németh, I., Junker, J., Bachmann, M.E., Marrocoli, S., Wessling, E.G., Byler, D., Cheyne, S.M., Desmond, J., Dowd, D., Fitzgerald, M., Fourrier, M., Goedmakers, A., Hernandez-Aguilar, A., Hillers, A., Hockings, K.J., Jones, S., Kaiser, M., Koops, K., Lapuente, J.M., Maisels, F., Riedel, J., Terrade, E., Tweh, C.G., Vergnes, V., Vogt, T., Williamson, E.A. and Kühl, H.S. (2021) Open-access platform to synthesize knowledge of ape conservation across sites. American Journal of Primatology 83: e23213.


2020

Koops, K. (2020) Chimpanzee termite fishing etiquette. Nature Human Behaviour 4: 887-888.

Van Leeuwen, K.L., Sterck, E.H.M., Matsuzawa, T. and Koops, K. (2020) How to measure chimpanzee party size? A methodological comparison. Primates 61: 201-212.


2019

Koops, K., Wrangham, R.W., Cumberlidge, N., Fitzgerald, M., van Leeuwen, K.L., Rothman, J.M. and Matsuzawa, T. (2019) Crab-fishing by chimpanzees in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. Journal of Human Evolution 133: 230-241.

Bibollet-Ruch, F., Russell, R.M., Liu, W., Stewart-Jones, G., Sherrill-Mix, Y.L., Learn, G.H., Smith, A.G., Gondim, M.V.P., Plenderleith, L.J., Decker, J.M., Easlick, J.L., Wetzel, K.S., Collman, R.G., Ding, S., Finzi, A., Ayouba, A., Peeters, M., Leendertz, F.H., van Schijndel, J., Goedmakers, A., Ton, E., Boesch, C., Kuehl, H., Arandjelovic, M., Dieguez, P., Murai, M., Colin, C., Koops, K., Speede, S., Gonder, M.K., Muller, M.N., Sanz, C.M., Morgan, D.B., Atencia, R., Cox, D., Piel, A.K., Stewart, F.A., Ndjango, J.N., Mjungu, D., Lonsdorf, E.V., Pusey, A.E., Kwong, P.D., Sharp, P.M., Shaw, G.M. and Hahn, B.H.  (2019) CD4 receptor diversity in chimpanzees protects against SIV infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116: 3229-3238.


2018

Fitzgerald, M., Coulson, R., Lawing, M., Matsuzawa, T. and Koops, K. (2018) Modeling habitat suitability for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Greater Nimba Landscape, Guinea, West Africa. Primates 59: 361-375.

Koops, K., Schuppli, C. and van Schaik, C.P. (2018) Cultural primatology. In: The International Encyclopedia of Biological Anthropology. Edited by W. Trevathan. John Willey and Sons, Inc.


2017

Wrangham, R.W., Worthington, S., Bernard, A.B., Koops, K., Machanda, Z.P. and Muller, M. (2017) Response to: Chimpanzee culture extends beyond matrilineal family units. Current Biology 27: 573-591.

Schuppli, C., Koops, K. and van Schaik, C.P. (2017) Cultural behaviour. In: The International Encyclopedia of Primatology. Edited by A. Fuentes. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.


2016

Wrangham, R.W., Koops, K., Machanda, Z.P., Worthington, S., Bernard, A.B., Brazeau, N.F., Donovan, R., Rosen, J., Wilke, C. Otali, E. and Muller, M. (2016) Distribution of a chimpanzee social custom is explained by matrilineal relationship rather than conformity. Current Biology 26: 3033-3037.

Van Schaik, C.P., Burkart, J., Damerius, L., Forss, S.I.F., Koops, K., van Noordwijk, M.A. and Schuppli, C. (2016) The reluctant innovator: Orangutans and the phylogeny of creativity. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 371: 20150183.


2015

Koops, K., Furuichi T. and Hashimoto, C. (2015a) Chimpanzees and bonobos differ in intrinsic motivation for tool use. Scientific Reports 5: 11356.

Koops K, Furuichi T, Hashimoto C, van Schaik CP. (2015b) Sex differences in object manipulation in wild immature chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and bonobos (Pan paniscus): Preparation for tool use? PLOS ONE 10(10): e0139909.

Koops, K., Schöning, C. Isaji, M. and Hashimoto, C. (2015c) Cultural differences in the length of ant-dipping tools between neighbouring chimpanzee communities at Kalinzu, Uganda. Scientific Reports 5: 12456.

Koops, K., Schöning, C., McGrew, W.C. and Matsuzawa, T. (2015d) Chimpanzees prey on army ants at Seringbara, Nimba Mountains, Guinea: Predation patterns and tool characteristics. American Journal of Primatology 77: 319-329.

Furuichi, T.*, Sanz, C.*, Koops, K.*, Sakamaki, T., Ryu, H., Tokuyama, N. and Morgan, D. (2015) Why do wild bonobos not use tools like chimpanzees do? Behaviour 152: 425-460. *Shared first authors

Hashimoto, C., Isaji, M. Koops, K., Furuichi, T. (2015) First records of tool-set use for ant-dipping in eastern chimpanzees in the Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Uganda. Primates 56: 301-305.


2014

Koops, K., Visalberghi, E. and van Schaik, C.P. (2014) The ecology of primate material culture. Biology Letters 10: 20140508.

Wilson, M. L., Boesch, C., Furuichi, T., Gilby, I.C., Hashimoto, C., Hobaiter, C.L., Hohmann, G., Itoh, N., Koops, K., Lloyd, J., Matsuzawa, T., Mitani, J.C., Mjungu, D.C., Morgan, D., Muller, M.M., Nakamura, M., Pruetz, J.D., Pusey, A.E., Riedel, J., Sanz, C., Schel, A.M., Simmons, N., Waller, M., Watts, D.P., White, F.J., Wittig, R.M., Zuberbuhler, K. and Wrangham, R.W. (2014) Lethal aggression in Pan is better explained by adaptive strategies than human impacts. Nature 513: 414-417.


2013

Koops, K., McGrew, W.C. and Matsuzawa, T. (2013) Ecology of culture: Do environmental factors influence foraging tool use in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus)? Animal Behaviour 85: 175-185.


2012

Koops, K., McGrew, W.C., Matsuzawa, T. and Knapp, L. (2012) Terrestrial nest-building in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus): Implications for the tree-to-ground sleep transition in early hominins. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 148: 351-361.

Koops, K., McGrew, W.C., de Vries, H. and Matsuzawa, T. (2012) Nest-building by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Seringbara, Nimba Mountains: Anti-predation, thermoregulation and anti-vector hypotheses. International Journal of Primatology 33: 356-380.


2011

Koops, K. (2011) Chimpanzees in the Seringbara region of the Nimba Mountains. In: The Chimpanzees of Bossou and Nimba. T. Matsuzawa, T. Humle and Y. Sugiyama (Eds.). Springer, Tokyo, pp. 277-287.


Pre-2011

Biro, D., Humle, T., Koops, K., Sousa, C., Hayashi, M. and Matsuzawa, T. (2010) Chimpanzee mothers at Bossou, Guinea carry the mummified remains of their dead infants. Current Biology 20: R351-R352.

Koops, K., McGrew, W.C. and Matsuzawa, T. (2010) Do chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) use cleavers and anvils to fracture Treculia africana fruits? Preliminary data on a new form of percussive technology. Primates 51: 175-178.

Möbius, Y., Boesch, C., Koops, K., Matsuzawa, T and Humle, T. (2008) Cultural differences in army ant predation by West African chimpanzees? A comparative study of microecological variables. Animal Behaviour 76: 37-45.

Koops, K., Humle, T., Sterck, E.H.M. and Matsuzawa, T. (2007) Ground-nesting in the chimpanzees of the Nimba Mountains, Guinea: Environmental or social determinants? American Journal of Primatology 69: 407-419.

Koski, S.E., Koops, K. and Sterck, E.H.M. (2007) Reconciliation, relationship quality and post-conflict anxiety: Testing the Integrated Hypothesis in captive chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology 69: 158-172.

Koops, K. and Matsuzawa, T. (2006) Hand clapping by a chimpanzee in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea, West Africa. Pan African News 13: 19-21.