A new study has found that chimpanzees and orangutans experience a midlife crisis, just like humans. Researchers from around the world studied over 500 primates of all ages in zoos and protected areas in America, Australia, and Asia. They found that the apes were less happy in their middle age than in their youth or old age. This is the first time that a midlife crisis has been observed in non-human primates. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers interviewed caretakers who had worked with the primates for many years to determine their emotional state. They found that the apes were happiest in their youth and old age, and that their midlife crisis occurred around the age of 30. This is about 10 years earlier than when humans typically experience a midlife crisis. The researchers believe that the midlife crisis in primates may have a biological cause, and they plan to study other species to better understand its evolutionary origins.
The study’s lead author, Andrew J. Oswald from the University of Warwick, commented that the research aimed to solve a scientific mystery: why does human happiness follow a U-shaped curve over the lifespan? The researchers concluded that it is not due to modern life factors such as mortgages, divorce, or smartphones, as apes also experience a midlife crisis despite not having these stressors. The study sheds new light on the emotional lives of primates and may help us better understand our own emotional experiences.
