Like humans, chimps too like cooked meals

Washington, Sept 23 : It's not just humans who like cooked meals, for chimps too share the fondness for well-heated grub, according to a new study.

To reach the conclusion, Victoria Wobber and her graduate advisor at Harvard University, Richard Wrangham, along with a third colleague, gave a choice between cooked and raw food to a number of captive apes.

The analysis revealed that chimpanzees preferred cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, and beef over the raw alternatives. However, they did not express any preference in the case of white potatoes and apples.

This, according to scientist, is because both remain relatively unchanged by cooking, reports Live Science.

A few bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans were also tested, and except for a penchant for cooked beef, not many expressed a preference, but those that did agreed with the chimps.

The study has been published in the Journal of Human Evolution.

ANI