A study published in the scientific journal Nature is generating debate about the innate behavior of chimpanzees.

The study, co-authored by University of Minnesota anthropologist Michael Wilson, compared two hypotheses about chimpanzee violence to determine whether aggression in chimpanzees evolved naturally or is a response to human interaction with the species and its habitats. The researchers concluded that violence in chimpanzees arises naturally and that there is little evidence to support the hypothesis that humans affect the animals’ aggression.

Many anthropologists and primatologists agree with this conclusion, citing the strength of the study’s design, the extensive amount of data analyzed and the variety of chimpanzee populations examined.

However, other researchers have criticized the paper. Robert Sussman of Washington University told the New York Times that the evidence wasn’t strong enough to reach any conclusions and that the authors “haven’t established lack of human interference.”

Others assert that the entire study was based on a flawed premise about evolution and the origins of war. A good example of what research intends to do, we are interested in further developments in this area of inquiry. New questions ultimately lead to new discoveries.