Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Did drunk apes help us evolve? New clues reveal why we digest alcohol so well

Ape behavior just got a name upgrade — “scrumping” — and it might help explain why humans can handle alcohol so well. Researchers discovered that African apes regularly eat overripe, fermented fruit off the forest floor, and this habit may have driven key evolutionary adaptations. By naming and classifying this behavior, scientists are hoping to better understand how alcohol tolerance evolved in our ancestors — and how it might have helped shape everything from safety in the trees to social drinking rituals.

None

Get the Android app