Retraction. Variation in chimpanzee 'culture' is predicted by local ecology, not geography.

Much attention has been paid to geographical variation in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behaviour, but few studies have applied quantitative techniques to explain this variation. Here, we apply methods typically used in macroecology to explain variation in the putative cultural traits of chimpanzees. We analysed published data containing 39 behavioural traits from nine chimpanzee communities. We used a canonical correspondence analysis to examine the relative importance of environmental characteristics and geography, which may be a proxy for inter-community gene flow and/or social transmission, for explaining geographical variation in chimpanzee behaviour. We found that environmental variables, especially rainfall seasonality explained a significant amount of behavioural variation, independent of geography. Several traits related to food acquisition/ processing were most related to environmental variables. Geography was a poor predictor of behavioural variability. These results support the idea that local ecological factors are important for explaining across-site variation in chimpanzee ‘culture’. In addition, inter-community dispersal and diffusion patterns have probably played a lesser role than local innovation and local spread in driving behavioural variation.