Teco shows more interest in objects than in his family—much as autistic children do.
Image: Courtesy of Elizabeth Rubert-Pugh, Great Ape Trust
Rambunctious one-year-old Teco, a third-generation captive-born bonobo at the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa, has an ape’s usual fondness for games and grapes. But perhaps because of trauma from a difficult birth (his mother was in labor for 60 hours) or a genetic predisposition, Teco is different from his bonobo peers in ways that resemble autism in young children. He could not cling to his mother or nurse the way healthy young apes do instinctively, mimicking the aversion to physical contact seen in children with autism. Teco also tends to fixate on shiny objects and avoids eye contact, and he has trouble coordinating his four limbs. A genetic analysis of bonobos, already under way, may shed light on Teco’s condition and offer new perspectives on autism’s genetic roots in humans.
This article was originally published with the title Autism in Another Ape.
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6 Comments
Add CommentApes are getting vaccinated?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am curious to know whether the mother has a history of frequent treatment with antibiotics, or other medical conditions and diet issues that may disrupt the natural balance of gut flora. (Also, how close is their diet to that which bonobos follow in the wild?)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am fascinated by the potential that the Gut and Pyschology Syndrome (postulated by Dr. Natasha McBride) has to explain autism and other developmental and psychiatric disorders. More info on http://gaps.me/?page_id=20 .
I believe all zoo animals get vaccinated when possible.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a loveable little 'Aspi' this Teco boy is!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe do not know what might have caused his Asperger's, though; (if Asperger's it is). Nature? Or Nurture?
If Nature did it, due to fetal-but not yet fatal- brain damage, Teco wouldn't have had a chance in life to survive in the wild, because of his lack of attachment with his Mum.( no clinging reflex, no survival luck,)
It will be interesting to see if Nurture can teach him to become more of a Social Animal- in the true sense of the word!
Teco is a third generation bonobo born in captivity. Following Teco through adolesence and early adulthood will be informative. Mating Teco with an unrelated female with similar behavior characteristics might result in a lineage of bonobos with a higher incidence of autistic behavior phenomena. Studying the genome of this lineage and comparing it with randomly selected bonobos might be a productive line of investigation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTeco is a third generation bonobo born in captivity. Following Teco through adolesence and early adulthood will be informative. Mating Teco with an unrelated female with similar behavior characteristics might result in a lineage of bonobos with a higher incidence of autistic behavior phenomena. Studying the genome of this lineage and comparing it with randomly selected bonobos might be a productive line of investigation.
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