People frequently confuse bonobos and chimpanzees. The most notable difference is behavioral. Bonobos are very sexual creatures, with homosexual activity being quite common. Tribes are dominated by females who use sex as a method of keeping the males in line.

Chimpanzees are male dominated, less sexual, and have been known to engage in tribal warfare. Chimpanzees are larger than bonobos. In the words of primatologist Frans de Waal, "The chimpanzee resolves sexual issues with power; the bonobo resolves power issues with sex."

In the wild, chimpanzees outnumber bonobos by about 2 to 1.