Chimps of War

I came across this article, "Chimps, Too, Wage War and Annex Rival Territory", while looking for a different article in The New York Times.

The objective of the 10-year campaign was clearly to capture territory, the researchers concluded. The Ngogo males could control more fruit trees, their females would have more to eat and so would reproduce faster, and the group would grow larger, stronger and more likely to survive. The chimps’ waging of war is thus “adaptive,” Dr. Mitani and his colleagues concluded, meaning that natural selection has wired the behavior into the chimps’ neural circuitry because it promotes their survival.

I am not sure this is good news for the Family of Hominidae (I wonder how you pronounce that word?).

I gave this the second label of culture, but I have my doubts.  On the other hand, it being biology isn't good news.

Regards  —  Cliff