Who Are More Helpful, Humans or Chimpanzees?

摘要

Do you hold the door for shoppers laden with packages? If you received two copies of the latest issue of Science in the mail, would you give the extra one to a colleague or throw it in the recycling bin? Do you make donations to charily, serve on departmental committees, recycle bottles, or donate blood? If you are like most people, you help in these sorts of situations and are motivated by empathy and concern for the welfare of others (7). Two reports by Melis et al. on page 1297 (2) and Warneken and Tomasello on page 1301 (3) of this week's issue contribute to understanding how we came to be such caring and cooperative creatures.