A young adolescent male chimpanzee (right) with his older brother, a late adolescent male in Kibale National Park, Uganda
Aaron Sandel
It is widely believed that humans are the only animals to have an adolescent growth spurt, but new evidence from chimpanzees suggests this isn’t unique to us after all.
Some scientists define adolescence as being specific to humans because it involves social and cultural changes that are distinctly human experiences. Certain physical changes during adolescence, such as the growth spurt, also haven’t been seen in other animals.
The few studies that …
