Science

Primates and Pet Keeping Behavior

Updated 2026-08-10 17:10 UTC 1 source Neutral

A new column explores the evolutionary origins of keeping pets by examining primate behavior. The article delves into how our impulse to adopt furry friends may have developed over time.

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New Scientist

What primates tell us about the evolutionary origins of keeping pets

Keeping pets seems to be fairly recent behaviour in the timeline of human evolution. Columnist Michael Marshall turns to the latest research on primates to understand how long we’ve had the impulse to adopt furry friends

2026-08-10 17:00 UTC