A significant study published in Science has documented for the first time in such detail the "civil war" and subsequent split of the Ngogo chimpanzee community in Uganda. The research describes how this exceptionally large group, which had remained united for decades, fractured into two rival factions, leading to a period of lethal conflict and targeted attacks—a phenomenon that offers profound insights into the evolution of social cohesion and group dynamics.

Dr. Miquel Llorente (Comparative Minds Research Group) was invited by numerous media organizations to analyze the evolutionary and social implications of this breakdown. In his commentary, Llorente explains that these events are not just biological curiosities, but crucial data points for understanding how internal tensions can dismantle even the most stable primate societies.

In statements to Science Media Centre, Llorente highlighted the rarity of such observations: "Seeing a community of this size split and turn against itself is an extraordinary event that allows us to study the limits of sociality and the origins of organized conflict." The news has garnered significant attention across national media. El Periódico and elDiario.es explored how these lethal encounters challenge our understanding of primate peace, while RAC1 focused on the dramatic nature of the territorial dispute and its impact on the community's future. RTVE also featured Llorente’s expert analysis to help contextualize these findings, moving beyond the sensationalist "war" headlines to explain the underlying ecological and demographic pressures that drive such social collapses.

🔗 Read the full articles and interviews:

• Science Media Centre: El mayor grupo conocido de chimpancés salvajes se separa y se ataca entre sí

• RTVE: Una extraña "guerra civil" entre chimpancés muestra el peligro de las divisiones sociales también para los humanos

• RAC1: Esclata una guerra civil inèdita en una comunitat de ximpanzés

• elDiario.es: Documentan la primera ‘guerra civil’ entre chimpancés: “Mataban a miembros de su antiguo grupo”

• El Periódico: Documentan por primera vez una 'guerra civil' entre chimpancés

• Empordà.info: Documenten per vegada primera una guerra civil entre ximpanzés

📝 Original Scientific Publication:

Sandel, A. A., He, Y., Ren, J., Kei, Y. L., Lee, K. C., Clark, I. R., Reddy, R. B., Negrey, J. D., Birungi, C., Apamaku, B. A., Kanweri, D., Kalunga, D., Aliganyira, C., Ramírez-Amaya, S., Nakayima, P., Katumba, R., Kamugyisha, B., Acosta-Florez, D., Boekholt, B. van, … Mitani, J. C. (2026). Lethal conflict after group fission in wild chimpanzees. Science, 392(6794), 216–220. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adz4944