Researchers introduce a new term to explain apes’ fondness for fermented fruit—and how it could illuminate human evolution.

What Is ‘Scrumping’?

A recent study conducted by academics at Dartmouth and the University of St Andrews introduces a name for a behaviour that has been long observed but never explicitly characterised in great apes: scrumping. The phrase denotes the act of collecting or appropriating fermenting fruits—usually those that have fallen from trees—by apes.

“We never bothered to differentiate fruits in trees from fruits on the ground,” says Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth and co-author of the paper, published in BioScience. “In other words, scrumping by no name at all just looks like eating fruit.”

Why It Matters for Human Evolution

The behavior has new significance due to a 2015 genetic study that found a single amino acid mutation in the last common ancestor of humans and African apes. This mutation increased their ability to metabolize alcohol by 40 times.

“It’s a fascinating idea, but nobody studying these ape species, or Asian apes, had the data to test it. It just wasn’t on our radar,” says Dominy. “The absence of a word for it has disguised its importance. We’re hoping to fill an important void in scientific discourse.”

The Origins of the Word

Scrumping originates from the mediaeval German term “schrimpen,” which signifies shrivelled or fermented. In modern England, scrumpy refers to a type of strong, cloudy apple cider (6–9% ABV). The new study seeks to give scientific legitimacy to the term in the context of primate behavior.

Observing Scrumping in Apes

To determine how widespread scrumping is, the researchers analyzed dietary records from chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans in the wild. They noted the animal’s height during feeding and the fruit’s typical growth level. If an ape consumed canopy-level fruit at ground level, it was deemed scrumping.

Key findings include:

• African apes (chimpanzees, gorillas) frequently scrump.
• Orangutans do not, supporting earlier findings that their ethanol-metabolizing enzymes are inefficient.
  

Alcohol and Evolutionary Advantage

The researchers propose that the ability to digest ethanol gave African apes several evolutionary advantages:

• Avoidance of climbing risks by feeding on fallen fruits
• Reduced competition with monkeys for unripe fruits in trees
  

“Scrumping by the last common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans about 10 million years ago could explain why humans are so astoundingly good at digesting alcohol,” says Dominy. “We evolved to metabolize alcohol long before we ever figured out how to make it.”

Alcohol and Ape Social Behavior

The social element of scrumping might also shed light on human alcohol culture, says Catherine Hobaiter, professor of psychology and neuroscience at St Andrews and co-corresponding author.

“A fundamental feature of our relationship with alcohol is our tendency to drink together, whether a pint with friends or a large social feast,” she explains. “The next step is to investigate how shared feeding on fermented fruits might also influence social relationships in other apes.”

Dominy believes the term “scrumping” could spread organically:
“These are great examples of words that we never knew we needed, until we did. If the term is useful, then it will catch on,” he says. “That’s natural selection at work!”

Key Takeaways of the Research

• Scrumping denotes the consumption of fermenting fruit from the ground by apes.
• The behavior may have played a crucial role in the evolution of human alcohol metabolism.
• African apes show this behavior frequently; orangutans do not.
• The term could help standardize observations in primate research.
• Alcohol consumption via fruit may have social as well as evolutionary consequences.
• Human alcohol tolerance may predate brewing by millions of years.

Original Publication
Authors: Nathaniel J Dominy, Luke D Fannin, Erin R Vogel, Martha M Robbins and Catherine Hobaiter.
Journal: BioScience
DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf102
Method of Research: Literature review
Subject of Research: Animals
Article Title: Fermented fruits: scrumping, sharing, and the origin of feasting
Article Publication Date: 31-Jul-2025