Frans de Waal makes his case that primates have emotions

Humans have far more in common with chimpanzees and bonobos than you may think — or may want to think.

And we’re not just talking about genetics; we’re talking about emotions and how they express them.

That’s the argument of Frans de Waal, who has studied primate behavior and emotions for forty years, and who has defended his belief in our similarities for probably just as long.

De Waal has written a new book on this topic, called Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions And What They Tell Us About Ourselves, and he spoke at length about it with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross recently.

Listen to de Waal’s conversation with Gross below or read a transcript of the interview on NPR’s website.