American chimpanzee breaststroke-breaking apes can't swim scientific judgment, scientists are surprised

According to the British Mirror newspaper, the scientists believe that the ape is very afraid of water and can't swim. But the two apes in the United States learned how to breaststroke, which surprised scientists and made their previous assertions fall apart ...

The Suryia of chimpanzee Cooper and the red-hairy gorilla have caused confusion, and scientists have been scratching their heads. After proving that they could learn to breaststroke, two orangutans began to swim in the pool splash.

Most terrestrial mammals instinctively swim in the water with their limbs pounding, until now people think the ape is a bad swimmer. Monkeys find themselves in the water of demise, usually dance on their limbs, some monkeys in zoos may even drown in the water, so they have to use the wall to isolate them.

But the two chimps who were adopted in the United States show that they can learn the breaststroke. In a pool of Missouri State, scientists watched chimpanzee Cooper swimming in the pool and enjoyed fishing from the bottom. The camera recorded the South Carolina, a red-Suryia, who swam independently for 12 minutes. Both chimps use human-like breaststroke-kicking movements.

Researcher Renata Bender said: "This is a very surprising behavior for animals who think they are afraid of water." ”

Scientists believe that apes and human arboreal ancestors may have lost their swimming instincts, and over time developed other strategies for crossing the river, such as wading directly past or using natural bridges. But these two chimps seem to have the heart to prove the mistake of people's opinion.

Each gorilla has a slightly different stroke. Cooper's hind legs will fetch water and Suryia alternately use its hind limbs. Cooper eventually became very confident in the water, and it was able to dive with the help of a safety rope and learn how to float on the water. Suryia learned to swim with his eyes open in the water, like a human face not in the middle of the water.

The researchers conclude: "The widespread perception that apes cannot swim because of anatomical barriers is undoubtedly being overturned here." ”