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A study from Harvard has found that the emergence of the first permanent teeth in chimpanzees does not correlate with weaning age, as previously thought.1

Smith et al. used high resolution photographs to monitor the eruption of first molars in juvenile chimpanzees in the Kanyawara chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda. The chimpanzees were photographed whenever they opened their mouths, with the eruption of first molars observed at around three years of age.

While it was commonly thought that this change would lead to weaning in chimpanzees, the juveniles were seen to suckle as much, if not more, during the eruption of first molars, despite also showing adult-like feeding patterns and consuming solid foods. The chimps threw tantrums if their mothers tried to deny them time to nurse and a conclusive link between first molar eruption and weaning age cannot be drawn. More research is needed to understand how feeding behaviours mature in the wild.