Humans’ ability to metabolize alcohol likely originated from African apes’ consumption of fermented fruit over 10 million years ago, according to a study published in BioScience. Researchers Catherine Hobaiter of the University of St Andrews and Nathaniel Dominy of Dartmouth College found that chimpanzees and other African great apes (excluding orangutans) routinely forage fallen, ethanol-containing fruit—a behavior newly termed “scrumping.” Genetic analyses reveal this dietary habit corresponds with a shared alcohol-metabolizing enzyme mutation in humans and African apes, suggesting inheritance from a common ancestor.
The study notes this trait remained scientifically overlooked until now, lacking even a descriptive term. Future research will examine whether “scrumping” involves social sharing, potentially illuminating the roots of human communal drinking. “Our relationship with alcohol centers on social consumption,” Hobaiter stated. “We aim to investigate how shared fermented fruit consumption influences ape social bonds.”