Abstract
I chose an area in the savanna woodland of Western Tanzania covering about 45 km2 and made an intensive sociological study of the chimpanzees visiting this area. Three components constituting a chimpanzee population were recognized: large-sized groups, smallsized groups, and lone individuals.
I took notice of the groupings of large-sized groups, and classified them into the following three statuses: the state of congregation, the state of partition, and the state of dispersion.
Provided that the productivity of food was stable, large-sized groups carried on their nomadism regularly, no matter what their main food might be. During the period in which the food supply was scarce, however, large-sized groups presented two types of nomadism: rapid movement in the state of congregation, and extreme dispersion.
Two large-sized groups were found and each had its own nomadic range of about 120 km2 respectively, 20% of which overlapped. Small-sized groups and lone individuals did not have their own ranges, and it is possible that they moved over wider ranges than the large-sized groups.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Azuma, S. & A. Toyoshima, 1965. Chimpanzees in Kabogo Point Area, Tanganyika. In:Monkeys and Apes,S. Kawamura & J. Itani (eds.) pp. 127–183.
Goodall, J., 1963. My life among wild chimpanzees.National Geographic, 124(2): 272–308.
——, 1965a. Chimpanzees of the Gombe Stream Reserve. In:Primate Behavior,I. DeVore (ed.) Holt, Rinehalt & Winston, Inc., New York, pp. 425–473.
——, 1965b. New discoveries among African chimpanzees.National Geographic, 128(6): 802–831.
——, 1967.My Friends: The Wild Chimpanzees. National Geographic Society, Washington.
Imanishi, K., 1961. The origin of human family: A primatological approach.Jap. J. Ethnol., 25: 119–130.
Itani, J., 1966. Social organization of chimpanzees.Shizen, 21(8): 17–30.
——, 1967a. An artificial feeding of wild chimpanzees and its social organization.Kagaku Asahi, 27(2): 79–85.
——, 1967b. From the societies of non-human Primates to human society.Kagaku, 37(4): 170–174.
——, 1967. The Social Unit of Chimpanzees.Primates, 8: 355–381.
Izawa, K. &J. Itani, 1966. Chimpanzees in Kasakati Basin, Tanganyika. (1) Ecological study in rainy season 1963–1964.Kyoto Univ. African Studies, 1: 73–156.
Kortlandt, A., 1962. Chimpanzees in the wild.Sci. Am., 20: 349–367.
Nishida, T., 1967. The society of wild chimpanzees.Shizen, 22(8): 31–41.
——, 1968. The social group of wild chimpanzees in the Mahali Mountains.Primates, 9: 167–224.
Nissen, H. W., 1931. A field study of the chimpanzee.Comp. Psychol. Monogr., 8(1): 1–122.
Reynolds, V., &F. Reynolds, 1965. Chimpanzees of the Budongo forest. In:Primate Behavior,I. DeVore (ed.) Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., New York, pp. 368–424.
Sugiyama, Y., 1967. Forest-living chimpanzees.Shizen, 22(8): 18–29.
——, 1968. Social organization of chimpanzees in the Budongo forest, Uganda.Primates, 9: 225–258.
Suzuki, A., 1969. An ecological study of chimpanzees in a savanna woodland.Primates, 10: 103–148.
Tomita, K., 1966. The sources of food for the Hadzapi tribe: The life of a hunting tribe in East Africa.Kyoto Univ. African Studies, 1: 157–171.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Izawa, K. Unit groups of chimpanzees and their nomadism in the savanna woodland. Primates 11, 1–45 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01730674
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01730674