by Frans de Waal & Frans Lanting

University of California Press, 1997, softeover, $19.95.

In this remarkable book, reknowned primatologist de Waal and acclaimed wildlife photographer Lanting have collaborated to bring the endangered bonobo into the public consciousness. Few people have ever heard of a bonobo. As de Waal explains, bonobos are one of the four ape species, the others being the orangutan, the gorilla and the chimpanzee. The apes are closer to humans than they are to monkeys on the evolutionary scale. And among the apes, the chimpanzees and the bonobos are closest to us, i.e., we all had a common ancestor. After all, over 98% of our DNA is also shared by these two apes. Whereas chimpanzees have been studied in depth for years, detailed studies of bonobos commenced in the 1970's. This was because they only live in the wild in one area of the world- the dense rainforests of the Democratic Repuplic of Congo (formerly Zaire).

Chimpanzees live in a male-dominated society. Males fight for dominance and access to fertile females. These fights are sometimes deadly. Males have also been known to kill the young of females unknown to them presumably to fertilize these females and assure that their progeny are abundant. This infanticide is also known amongst other species. Chimpanzee females do not form deep bonds and different groups of chimpanzees are hostile towards each other. In fact, female chimpanzees with offspring travel alone to try to protect their young from this deadly male behavior. Chimpanzee males tend to bond well at times, hunting for food together, but then fighting over teritory and fertile females (although the most dominant males tend to share food and sexual priviledges with other high ranking males). Little bonding is seen among female chimpanzees. Chimpanzee intelligence has been well documented, especially with regard to toolmaking. Chimpanzees can be playful and affectionate.

Enter the bonobos. As de Waal says, "the apes from Venus," the reference being to both the goddess of love and the unique female-centered structure of bonobo groups. Females form very strong bonds and together they dominate the males.

Aggressive male instincts are kept in check as females will gang up on any male who is getting out of line. But the main and most remarkable way that the

bonobo females diffuse tensions is by being sexually receptive most of the time to males. Not only that, but the females diffuse tension amongst themselves by mutual genital stimulation ("G-rubbing"). Even the males' aggressive exploits against each other are generally just a lot of noise and commotion, with only occasional physical fighting. The males often engage in rubbing their buttocks and scrotums together as a way to diffuse tensions. They may also stroke each others' penises as well. Female physical fights do occur, but they are rare. Although they occasionally have maimed each other, there have never been any reports of deaths from these bonobo fights.

In fact, the bonobos spend a great deal of their time in lovemaking, kissing and caressing. Whereas the chipanzees' greatest aptitude is toolmaking, the bonobo's is sensitivity and empathy. Bonobos often look into each others' eyes and seem to be very aware of another's needs. They are the only other species where a male and a female have intercourse facing each other. This is possible because bonobo females' genitalia are between their thighs and not more posteriorly positioned as in other apes. But the bonobos have sex in a wide variety of positions and de Waal assures us that they must have read the Kama Sutra!

Bonabos travel together in groups, share food and generally mingle peacefully with other bonobo groups. They are largely vegetarian but also catch small animals to eat. Mothers attend closely to their young and carry them for the first few years of life. Adolescent females will leave their bonobo group and become part of another. This is presumably how the bonobos solve the incest problem, guarding against inbreeding and the spread of genetic mutations. The bonobo mothers, on the other hand, bond very closely with their sons for life. And in a female dominated society, each mother attempts to promote her sons to become the most dominant males!

De Waal reminds us that as humans, we share male bonding with the chimpanzees and female bonding with the bonobos. Different from both these species, human societies have nuclear families. "These reproductive units may be monogamous, but the culturally most widespread pattern is polygyny- that is, one male with several females, who may live together or apart." The evolutionary reasons for this are simple: human males would only help raise children if they were sure that they were theirs. And later, when humans ceased to be nomadic and adapted agriculture and "property," the men wished that only their children aquire

their property after their deaths. One wonders, but de Waal does not speculate on it, what direction the nuclear family will evolve following the ongoing

shift from a male dominated to a more egalitarian society that has developed in this century.

Finally, de Waal reminds us that, despite their geographic isolation, the

bonobo remains an endangered species. Most local people living in the bonobo habitat refrain from hunting them. However, poachers periodically violate this taboo, killing bonobos for meat or killing the mothers and kidnapping the young to sell them as pets. Thus, the population of bonobos in the wild has declined since the 1970's. Only about one hundred bonobos exist in captivity in zoos or animal parks. The spectre of the loss of this extraordinary and fascinating species is very real.

The coauthor of this book is Frans Lanting, an award winning photographer. His stunning photographs comprise an integral part of this book. Lanting comments that the first time he looked into the eyes of a bonobo, the human-ape species line definitely blurred for him. His photographs definitely convey the

essential nature of the bonobo: peaceful, playful, sexual and empathic. These large color photographs are numerous and spectacular. Together, Lanting and de Waal have produced a unique and fascinating volume.