AI Summary

The study of primates offers insights into the evolutionary origins of keeping pets. Research suggests that this behavior may be a relatively recent development in human evolution. Primates, such as chimpanzees and bonobos, have been observed to form close bonds with certain individuals, often involving care and protection. However, these relationships do not necessarily involve the long-term care and nurturing of individuals outside of their immediate social group. The findings imply that the impulse to keep pets may have emerged later in human evolution than previously thought, potentially coinciding with the development of more complex social structures and relationships.

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