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The nature and nurture of intelligence
The nature and nurture of intelligence
The nature and nurture of intelligence
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Many people believe that humans are the smartest animals on this planet, far surpassing all other species in our intelligence. While this may be true, humans have rising competition for the title of smartest species. Chimpanzees, as scientists are beginning to realize, have many of the same neural pathways that humans use to channel their intelligence to create new things (Barras, n. pag). This allows them to innovate with the same proficiency as humans are able to. Thomas Alva Edison, famous inventor of the 1900s, would be a fantastic name for a pet chimpanzee in that they are both innovative. Chimpanzees are one of the most innovative species on Earth. They are one of the few species that are able to use tools. Not only that, but they can also be seen specializing tools to fit their needs in a specific situation. One such example of this tool …show more content…
While he didn’t use rocks to crack open walnuts like chimpanzees did, he did make numerous advances in human technology. In the course of his lifetime, Edison patented over 1,300 new inventions, some of which would change the course of human history (“Thomas Alva Edison.” Notable, 1). One of Edison’s most iconic inventions, the phonograph, is also one of his most innovative, as it took many years and all of his masterful genius to generate. The phonograph was Edison’s attempt at transmitting sound over a longer distance. Other telecommunications devices of his time were not capable of achieving the distance that the phonograph was able to. Using a sheet a wax paper containing hundreds of indentations of varying sizes, Edison ran a needle over them. Upon striking the paper after running over an indentation, the needle would emit a sound. Edison was then able to devise a system which allowed people to send messages over the phonograph, later revolutionizing the way people communicated in the whole country (“Thomas Alva Edison.” Science,
Dr. Goodall is a well-known British primatologist who has discovered a substantial amount about primates in her many years of research. She has written numerous books, including one that we will be going into depth about called, “Through a Window.” Her book contains personal experiences, research findings, and even pictures to help the readers visualize her scientific breaking moments from her thirty years with the chimpanzees of Gombe. She states that there is are minor differences, and several similarities between humans and the chimpanzees. We will discuss these differences and similarities through their social behavior, intellectual ability, and emotions. To conclude, examine Goodall’s research to adopt what her findings can tell us about our early ancestors, and whether or not her study coincided to the steps of scientific methodology.
Chimpanzees are a lot like humans in their behaviours. They are extremely smart since they are able to make and use tools and weapons. The female mothers are very affectionate and protective over the young and the rest of their family. The young chimps are also very dependant on their mother for necessities such as food, shelter and warmth.
Tool-use is regularly reported in chimpanzees. They use many different tools to carry out many different tasks. They use sticks to fish for insects, stones and wood to crack open nuts, leaves to soak up liquid, and branches used as weapons to dominate opponents and frighten off predators. In making tools, they may use a variety of different materials to make the same kind of tool. For example, they use sticks, twigs, bark, and vines to fish for termites. They also may use the same material for different purposes. A leaf could be used as a termite probe, a napkin, or a sponge.
Humans are not the only species with the ability of making tools. Early on in her research, Jane Goodall observed an older male chimp, she called him David Greybeard. Through her observation of David, she witnessed two forms of the use of tools. The first was the use of grass as a tool to extract termites from their mounds. The second was the making of a tool by stripping the leaves off a twig, modifying it for the same purpose. When Louis Leakey heard this, he wrote her “Now we must redefine tool, redefine man, or except chimpanzees as humans” (Goodall, 2002). There is a definite correlation between man and chimps in this respect. Human culture involves learned behaviors through observation, imitation and practice, the use of tools with chimpanzees show the same ability for learned beh...
...eportedly the chimpanzee became an endangered species in 2002. Vital funds for zoo affiliated research and field work should be found elsewhere, because fooling around with another's life – human or animal – is not ours to manipulate.
When it comes to interacting with the environment tool use by chimpanzees is very vital to differentiating their intelligent within their culture. Chimpanzees are some of the very few unique primates that use a variety of tools which makes them stand out as very proficient tool users besides humans. According to David Watts chimpanzees use the tools to enhance their way of living. “Chimpanzees at several well documented sites mostly use tools in extractive foraging, and extractive tool use can substantially increase their foraging efficiency. They also use tools for hygiene and for several other purposes, including attracting the attention of conspecifics, as in leaf-clipping” (Watts 2008, 83). Subsequently chimpanzees are intellectual enough to alter an object to create a tool, and then use the tool for a precise purpose. Then on the other hand chimpanzees use tools to overcome everyday obstacles. As expressed by Watts chimpanzee toolkits mak...
Do non-human primates have communication, language, both, or neither? By definition, communication is the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information (Snowdon). Communication is very closely related to social behavior since they are both referring to the ways animals interact with each other (Quiatt and Reynolds 1993). Conversely, language is defined as a system of communication using sounds or gestures that are put together in meaningful ways according to a set of rules (Haviland et al. 2010). Non-human primates and human primates are similar in many ways, and communication is no exception. They both have various types of communication senses and styles. Human primate communication senses consist of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Non-human primates mainly understand the world through sight, but smell, taste, and hearing are important as well (Quiatt and Reynolds 1993). Human primates are capable of speaking a language, while non-human primates use different vocal calls to communicate. In essence, the difference is simple, human primates have language while non-human primates do not. Even though non-human primates do not have language, they do have communication.
Chimps use tools in numerous ways to retrieve food. These include stone tools for the cracking of nuts and thin twigs for termite fishing as discussed in both the articles Mommy Training by Nick Atkins and Tool Use in Wild Chimpanzees: New Light From Dark Forests by Hedwige Boesch-Achermann and Christophe Boesch. Both of these articles discusss the use of tool use among chimpan...
Primates have long been understood to have a distinct connection with other animals of its kind, perhaps one of the reasons why their behavior has been most often than not closely related to how humans interact in social groups. However, between different emerging species, it could be analyzed how competition becomes a vital part of the connection they share between each other. This is the reason why it was easier to preserve species of different kinds of primates even within the same locations of habitat. Cross-breeding was not that common among primates due to being highly territorial in nature. Male primates often direct their groups specifically having a distinct distance from other types of other primates. This is why preserving intact social groups among monkeys have been a distinct characteristic of the animal, giving them a greater chance of propagating and preserving their own groups surviving within a specific habitat. When instances of environmental imbalance occurs, primates often move as groups, hence bringing their whole clan and community along with them as they follow their leaders find viable locations to become their new home.
Toolmaking and use is thought to be only a human trait as well. “The notion is [tool use] requires higher intelligence, because it requires refashioning what nature has provided to achieve the user 's goal," Anne Russon, an expert in ape intelligence at Canada 's York University, said via email ("How Smart Are Planet 's Apes? 7 Intelligence Milestones", 2011). Scientist always believed toolmaking and use could only be achieved by animals with a level of intelligence equal to that of a human. Gorillas use tools to hunt other animals, protect themselves, and solve high level problems ("Gorilla Research - Gorilla Facts and Information", 2014). A couple of examples are gorillas using sticks to “fish” for ants off of trees and using sticks to measure the deepness of water before entering it. Another way gorilla’s use their surroundings and utilize them as tools, much like humans do, is with plants. Gorillas have been known to use plants as medicines to heal themselves ("History & Milestones,”
Apes have over and over again surpassed other primates in comprehension tests carried out in the laboratory. They are capable of reacting to stimuli in an appropriate manner. Researchers have measured intelligence in primates in a number of situations in an effort to determine the level of cognition these primates possess. Russon and Begun, researchers who have explored ape intelligence state, “In the physical domain, great apes do use tools in ways that require their grade of cognition but they devise equally complex manual techniques and solve equally complex spatial problems” (Russon and Begun 2004). Apes have the abilit...
Conflicts can happen to everyone and can be as small as not being able to open a "water bottle or even as big as dealing with a disease. There are many types of conflicts such as internal, supernatural, and external conflicts. Conflicts happen daily and they are meant to be resolved. In "Ashputtle" by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, Ashputtle's mother is the conflict since she is rude to Ashputtle and prevents her to go to the ball. In "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, the monkey's paw creates some conflicts for whoever uses it to make a wish. In "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury, a nuclear bomb creates a deadly conflict. Conflicts can change people in many ways such as overcoming obstacles, punishment for disobedience, and death.
After researching and observing the lives of orangutans I can support my hypothesis. The orangutans are restricted into a small area, fed when the trainers feed them, and live on the ground because there are no trees causing them to have a different lifestyle than the wild orangutans. The captive orangutans are taken care of by the trainer and never have to struggle to get food. They seem to sit and sleep at the same time, for majority of the time I was observing. There are no predators for them to have to fight off since they are separated, where in the wild they would have to protect themselves and in some cases their offspring. If an adult female were to give birth while in captivity, the offspring would grow up to have a completely different lifestyle than a juvenile in the wild. The juvenile is cared for and protected by the trainers more than they would be by their own mother. Being in captivity gives the primates the option of medicine in cases of sickness or an injuries. In the wild the primates have to live without the nurture of these trainers which is why they tend to live...
Thomas (Alva) Edison was one of America’s most important and famous inventors. Edison was born into a time and place where there wasn’t much technological advancements. His inventions helped a lot of things quickly change in the world. His inventions contributed to many inventions today such as the night light, movies, telephones, and records and CDs.
Thomas Alva Edison was one of the greatest inventors. He was a smart man. Thomas invented many things such as the light bulb and phonograph. Without the light bulb we would still be using candles and lanterns like they did many years ago. Although Thomas was deaf he worked hard and never gave up.