Mountain gorillas bounce back from rough childhoods better than many humans and other primates
In 1978, at the tender age of 4, a mountain gorilla named Titus living in East Africa’s Virunga Mountains experienced a series of unthinkable tragedies. His father and brother were killed by poachers, and as his tribe reshuffled and males fought for dominance, another gorilla killed his younger sister. His mother and older sister fled the dangerous situation, leaving him to fend for himself in a new social order. Research on other primates, including humans, suggests individuals who go through so much adversity so young tend to lead shorter lives. But not Titus. He forged new bonds with what was left of his troop and eventually sired more babies than any other gorilla on record, dying in 2009 at the ripe old age (for gorillas) of 35. According to a study out today in ...