In Nature, Living Links Center researchers at the Yerkes Primate Center, Lisa Parr and Frans de Waal, describe the first evidence in primates for an extension of these face recognition abilities to kin recognition that is purely visual and independent of previous experience with the individuals in question. Parr and de Waal demonstrate that chimpanzees, using a computerized joystick program, are able to accurately match portraits of unfamiliar females with their sons. The chimpanzees, however, fail to recognize the relationship between ape mothers and daughters. This may relate to the male-centered social system of chimpanzees. It has long been known from Dr. de Waal's studies on the political strategies of chimpanzees during power struggles that males take great risks on behalf of one another.
Alliances often occur between brothers or other relatives.
Kinship issues are also important for producing healthy offspring. Avoiding inbreeding is crucial to prevent genetic defects. Parr took advantage of the chimpanzee's proven face recognition abilities and adept computer skills when she presented five adult individuals with digitized portraits of females with their offspring, versus unrelated individuals. In doing so, she made use of the large and unique Living Links photo collection. Many of these photographs represent individuals in distant colonies, which ensured that the subjects in the study did not work with portraits of individuals they had known previously.