Human cooperation is unmatched in the animal kingdom in its scale and flexibility, extending even to strangers. To understand its evolutionary and developmental roots, we compare chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, with children and adults. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms that make cooperation possible and keep it stable, from coordinating and communicating with partners, the motivation to help others and sharing rewards fairly, to the memory, patience and future planning needed to exchange favours over time.

Our work with chimpanzees takes place in African sanctuaries, including Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda and Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where we have been conducting research for over 20 years.