Senegal’s Spear-wielding Savannah Chimps Yield Clues On Humanity’s Past

By Becca MILFELD – Barron’s

A shriek broke the dawn on the savannah, followed by more screeches and the rustle of branches: The wild Fongoli chimps were bidding each other good morning in the dry, scraggly Sahel.

The rare chimpanzees — who live in the bush of hot, southeast Senegal rather than the forest as is more common — exist on the extreme edge of what is possible for their species.

Their unusual way of living offers clues into humans’ own evolutionary past, while their adaptations to the heat appear timely in a world where temperatures are on the rise.