Risks young chimps take as they swing through the trees underscore role of protective parenting in humans

The youngest chimpanzees are the biggest risk-takers. Would humans show the same pattern if adults weren’t keeping such a close watch on little kids?

By: Laura M. MacLatchy, University of Michigan and Lauren Sarringhaus, James Madison University , The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 7, 2026

Words: 997

Last Updated: 2 days, 7 hours ago

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By Laura M. MacLatchy, University of Michigan and Lauren Sarringhaus, James Madison University

Adolescents are known for risky behavior, with teenagers in the U.S. more likely than younger children to die from injury. But what’s responsible for this uptick in risk-taking around puberty?

Our new observations of physical risk-taking in chimpanzees suggests that the rise in risk-taking in human adolescence isn’t due to a new yen for danger. Rather, a decrease in …

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