If humans were more like the bonobo (Pan paniscus) and less like the chimpanzee, the world would be a more peaceful place. Where chimps are aggressive and quarrelsome, bonobos, or pygmy chimpanzees, are great appeasers. This might be because the females are in charge. A chimp clan is usually ruled by a (usually temperamental) alpha male given to dangerous displays of machismo. In bonobo groups males are kept in their place by the alpha female and her sister animals who not only get the pick of whatever food is available but who are looked to by all - including males - for defence and security. Much of the interaction between bonobos is erotically tactile and they spend a great deal of time mating, apparently not simply for procreation but as a social activity, to resolve disputes and avoid confrontations.
