BIZARRE

Last updated on Feb 18, 2026
Also available in: Arabic
 

Definition: This acronym refers to Barren, Institutional, Zoo, and other Rare Rearing Environments (BIZARRE). Most research for chimpanzees is conducted on this specific sample. This limits the generalizability of a large number of research findings in the chimpanzee population. The BIZARRE has been argued to reflect the universal concept of what is a chimpanzee (see also WEIRD, which has been argued to be a universal concept for what is a human).

Related terms: Populations, STRANGE, WEIRD

References:

  • Clark, H., Elsherif, M. M., & Leavens, D. A. (2019). Ontogeny vs. phylogeny in primate/canid comparisons: a meta-analysis of the object choice task. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 105, 178–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.001
  • Leavens, D. A., Bard, K. A., & Hopkins, W. D. (2010). BIZARRE chimpanzees do not represent “the chimpanzee.” Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2–3), 100–101. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X10000166

Originally drafted by: Mahmoud Elsherif

Reviewed by: Zoe Flack, Charlotte R. Pennington