Chimpanzee Activity and Behavioral Diversity Extends Across 24 Hours in Both Captive and Wild Settings.

Studying nocturnal behavior is crucial for understanding the full scope of a species' behavioral flexibility so as to inform the conservation of wild populations and the care of captive individuals. However, this aspect of primate behavior is understudied, especially in great apes, which exhibit some of the widest documented behavioral diversity and flexibility. Our investigation is among the first to systematically compare the 24 h activity patterns and behavioral activities of captive chimpanzees (Saint Louis Zoo, USA) with those of wild chimpanzees (three sites across the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo) and a published data set of the nocturnal behavior of all chimpanzee subspecies.