Description: English / Français
During the dry season, chimpanzees are more present in the Gabon area where AnneMarie and Xavier HUBERTBRIERRE and Michel GUISS DJOMOU have set up their large mirrors to shoot the animals' reactions to their reflections (Equatorial Africa).
This would be due to the presence of many Sacoglottis Gabonensis, trees with tasty fruits, the Ozougas, which these primates love so much that they have one in their mouth continuously and chew its pulp between upper and lower teeth?
In humans, selfrecognition in a mirror is not innate. When first exposed to fulllength mirrors, as is often found on cupboard doors or in dressing rooms, babies first think that their reflection is a playmate copying their movements. It is only at 2 years old, after long exposures to the mirror in the calm of his house, often with his parents explaining that his image is himself, that a child understands "the mirror". If his mother, without him noticing, puts a lipstick mark on his forehead, then in front of the mirror, seeing his reflection with this mark, he will put his hand on the mark his own forehead (mirror test or mark test developed by psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr).
In chimpanzees, this recognition is also not innate. On the other hand, in the insecurity of the jungle, the young child chimpanzee facing this large mirror with its mother and other chimpanzees who have not made their apprenticeship, its learning is much more difficult as in humans and his outcome very uncertain. Everyone recognizes the reflections of its neighbours but not those of a stranger, their own image that they ignore.
Selfscratching in monkeys and apes is more than just an itch and is more likely to occur at times of increased stressor, during socially arousing circumstances, as in close proximity to a higherranking congeners or unfriendly congeners or their reflection in a mirror when they have not completed their mirror training. Their misunderstanding of the mirror results in repeated selfscratching.
The rumprumprubbing is not a sexual behaviour and is particularly intended to decrease stress.
The young mother is lucky because her child, present on her back, during her rectalverso copulation does not interfere while often weaning infant or offspring of mating female interposes between the couple in copulation, by pushing back the male while emitting loud scream.
This mother, recognizing her child in the mirror on the back of a female she has never met (her own image), is very confused but absolutely seeking to understand. As soon as she passes the mirror, this unknown female disappears and therefore she checks repeatedly if she is not behind the frame.
Watch this video of a lesson with a much larger "number of learners":    • The only baby in the chimp’s group di...  
Or the video of one of their very first encounters, full of screams:    • Mirrors in the jungle: their learning...  

Chez les humains la reconnaissance de soi dans un miroir n’est pas innée. Lors des premières expositions à un grand miroir, les enfants pensent que leur reflet est un camarade de jeu qui copie leurs gestes. Vers l’âge de 2 ans, après de nombreuses expositions au miroir au calme chez soi, souvent en compagnie de ses parents lui expliquant que son image est luimême, l'enfant comprend « le miroir ». Si sa maman, sans qu’il ne s’en rende compte, lui fait une marque de rouge à lèvre sur le front, puis face au miroir, voyant la tête son reflet avec cette tâche rouge, il va porter sa main sur son propre front.
Chez les chimpanzés cette reconnaissance n’est également pas innée. Dans l’insécurité de la jungle, le jeune bébé chimpanzé face au miroir en compagnie de sa mère et d’autres chimpanzés qui n’ont pas fait leur apprentissage, son apprentissage est beaucoup plus difficile et son issue très incertaine. Dans le miroir chacun reconnait les reflets de ses voisins mais pas celui d’un inconnu, sa propre image qu’il ignore.
Le frottement croupe contre croupe n'est pas un comportement sexuel. Il vise notamment à faire baisser le stress au sein d’un groupe.
La jeune maman est chanceuse car son enfant, présent sur son dos n’interfère pas lors de sa copulation, alors que souvent l'enfant d’une femelle copulant, repousse le mâle criant.
Cette mère, reconnaissant dans le miroir son enfant sur le dos d’une femelle qu’elle n’a jamais rencontrée (sa propre image), est très désorientée. Elle cherche absolument à comprendre car dès qu’elle dépasse le miroir, cette femelle inconnue disparaît et donc elle vérifie à maintes reprises si celleci ne se trouve pas derrière le cadre. L'autograttage, plus qu'une simple démangeaison, est plus susceptible de se produire lors d'un stress accru, dans des circonstances socialement excitantes, comme la proximité d'un congénère de rang supérieur ou d'un congénère inamical, ou de leur reflet dans un miroir lorsqu'ils n'ont pas terminé leur apprentissage du miroir. Leur incompréhension du miroir les amène à se gratter de manière répétée.