We humans have many primates, some of whom we share with apes. By studying non-human primates living or extinct, such as orangutans or the Miocene apes, who both have a part in our human evolutionary history. By studying living primates we are able to compare social behaviors and find the roots of some of our very own social learnings. By studying extinct Miocene ape remains we are able to examine the physical properties that distinguish humans from other apes.I will be referencing two articles “” and “”, and discuss modern humans and apes ancestors the Miocene Apes, and behavior study of orangutans to better understand our own behaviors.
“Planet of the apes,” discusses the many species and findings of Miocene apes, in Africa and Eurasia. Out of 100 ape species, Miocene apes seem to check off the correct boxes for a
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possible primitive primates. Primitive primates represent the division between human and modern ape’s evolution. Miocene apes typically ranged from 3 kilogram to 80 kilograms and were tailless. This height feature is similar to that of modern apes and humans. Unlike modern humans Miocene apes walked on all fours. Miocene ape arms were similar lengths as their legs, unlike modern apes whose arms are longer than their legs. In theory primitive apes could not walk on all fours do to restricted shoulder, elbow movement, short arms in portion to legs. Proconsul is seen as representing the division,between modern apes and humans.
Being tailless, with mobile hips, shoulders, wrists ,ankles and hands.Identical of those of modern apes allowing them to swing from branch to branch,and increasing the possibility of bipedalism.As these Miocnes started in Africa and began to expand to Eurasia.Scientist suggest early Miocene apes left Africa because new adaptations in their jaws and teeth allowed them to try and prosper in different settings. Scientist argue the initial reason for the migration to Eurasia would have been fueled by the changes in temperatures.
Some may confuse our past ancestors with those of chimps or other apes. However, It is not accurate to say we evolved from chimps, for chimps and human both evolved from Miocene apes, until we split directions in evolution. Our last common ancestor portrayed traits from both chimps and humans. It walked on all fours, ate fruit,used tools, and held a complex “dynamic social group,” just as humans and chimps do. It is accurately to say human and chimps have overlapping traits and share a common ancestor. Our common ancestor being Miocene
apes. When Reading “Why Are Some Animals So Smart”, one is introduced to the study of orangutans and their use of tools and their behavior, in order to understand our own human early behaviors such as the process of and evolution of learning. Orangutans built witty tools such as using a twig to reach the hidden termites. Simple tools like these and their expansion to other orangutans explains how our ancestors could of possibly learned their tool making skills from earlier generations. For example, human mothers teach their offspring how how to find twigs and put it inside a termites nest.One initially learns from one's mother the techniques and tools. Each tool and innovation is specific to the environment.. Thus explaining or own past of why not all of our ancestors used stone tools, perhaps they had no need to in their environment.There are many theories such as the innovation through culture theory being that most intelligent animals tend to live in populated areas where there is a tendency for innovations.The problem presented when trying to connect these theories of behavior traits is we have no reliable prove why our own ancestor and great apes evolved such intelligence.Nonhuman primates studies allow us to have a glimpse of our past. To better understand how our traits developed. All in all, the past is the key to our present and future. There are many behaviors we are unable to identify from Miocene ape remains, that we find in studying living non-human primates. These findings help identify our behaviors, such as social learning, while Miocene remains allow us to identify our earliest ancestors. Allowing us to pinpoint the division between modern humans and chimps.
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.
This article, titled Common Ground, written by Barbara Smuts, points out the main differences between humans and apes, such as our upright stance, large brains, and capacity for spoken language and abstract reasoning. However, the main point of this article is to emphasize the many similarities that apes share with us. Smuts goes into great detail about how human social and emotional tendencies are very reflective in the family of apes.
Chimpanzees make tools and use them to procure foods and for social exhibitions; they have refined hunting tactics requiring collaboration, influence and rank; they are status cognizant, calculating and capable of trickery; they can learn to use symbols and understand facets of human language including some interpersonal composition, concepts of number and numerical sequence and they are proficient in spontaneous preparation for a future state or event.
Every few years, Hollywood releases a new Planet of the Ape movie, which is always a blockbuster hit. Moviegoers flock to see these movies of how apes rise together and how they are actually more intelligent than meets the eye. Most people do not know the premise behind these movies of how smart and closely related apes are to humans. This is because people probably have never taken a physical anthropology class and have not done research on apes –our closet kins. Known for his immense studies in the fields of apes and monkeys, his long term research in the behavior of chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, and his experience in the forests with the apes, the co-director of the Jane Goodall Research Center and writer of our textbook, primatologist
Trinkaus, E. (2007). European early modern humans and the fate of the Neandertals. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 104(18), 7367-7372. doi:10.1073/pnas.0702214104
Quiatt, D., & Reynolds, V. (1993). Primate behaviour: information, social knowledge, and the evolution of culture. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press].
Our earliest ancestors are primates. They are our closest relatives which is why we can see our behavior’s and practices in them. If we observe them we can get a better understanding of them and us, human beings. But unfortunately we all don’t get the chance to see a Primate right in our backdoor. So the best thing I could do for my observation was to visit them at the zoo.
Australopithecus afarensis existed between 3.9 and 3.0 million years ago. The distinctive characteristics of A. afarensis were: a low forehead, a bony ridge over the eyes, a flat nose, no chin, more humanlike teeth, pelvis and leg bones resembled those of modern man. Females were smaller than males. Their sexual dimorphism was males:females; 1.5. A. afarensis was not as sexually dimorphic as gorillas, but more sexually dimorphic than humans or chimpanzees. A lot of scientists think that Australopithecus afarensis was partially adapted to climbing the trees, because the fingers and toe bones of the species were curved and longer than the ones of the modern human.
Apes, like humans, are catarrhines and part of the superfamily hominoidea. Apes started to appear in the Miocene about 20 million years ago(lecture notes, week 10), under this category there are many primates that are distinguished as apes, such as, orangutans, gibbons, chimpanzees, and gorillas. These particular primates are from the old world and are native to Africa and Asia. Apes can be distinguished by the foramen magnum towards the back of the skull, having no tail, and having a hook nose (Larsen 2013, p. 150). Another characteristic of apes is that they have large brains for their body size, this is important because it shows they have a higher intelligence than other animals, and this can be connected to the relationship shared with humans.
According to National Geographic, scientists have sequenced the genome factor of the chimpanzee and found that humans are 98.5% similar to the ape species. The chimpanzee is our closest relative in the animal kingdom; however, some people are not aware of our resembling traits with chimpanzees. Jane Goodall’s, In the Shadow of Man, describes some similar traits humans and chimpanzees have such as their facial expressions and emotions, use of tools, and diet.
Non human primates’ social organization can provide useful information how human social evolution occurs. We will go over main points of how similar and different non human primates such as chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas’ society are compared to ours, humans.
Monkey see, monkey do. Apes have always been thought to have an increased level of intelligence. Over the years, researchers have attempted to understand the degree of intelligence these primates possess. However, it is essential to understand the definition of intelligence in order to determine the amount of intelligence primates have. Intelligence is the capability of obtaining knowledge and being able to utilize it in everyday situations. There are many hypotheses that focus on the evolution of intelligence in primates that view a number of factors including brain size and modernism. Primate intelligence has been a topic of interest to many because it will allow us to further understand the close relationship between humans and primates. Additionally, we will be able to understand the difference between human and primate cognition. Some studies suggest that the human and primate brains possess many similarities. This demonstrates why primates tend to respond to stimuli in a manner that is closely related to humans. Researchers have conducted a number of studies in an effort to understand primate cognition.
Humans and non-human primates have many behaviors and characteristics in common. All humans and non-human primates also share physical and beha...
The 2001 film, Planet of the Apes represents a dystopian world. A dystopian world describes an imaginary society that is as dehumanising and as unpleasant as possible. In the film Planet of the Apes, the world is ruled by humanoid apes who can speak the human language and who treat human beings as their slaves. The world has been represented so that the roles of humans and apes have been reversed in the film, the apes have taken over the superior role in the world whereas the humans have been downgraded to the, as referred to, as the 'dirty animals '. This juxtaposition is thought provoking; it makes us think about how we treat animals and those we see as lesser human in our world and
The evidence for human evolution begins with the australopithecines. All the australopithecines were bipedal and therefore possible hominines. In details of their teeth, jaws, and brain size, however, they modify enough among themselves to be divided into five species: Australopithecus anamensis, A. afarensis, A. africanus, A. robustus, and A. boisei. Genus Homo are also divided in five different spices: Homo erectus, H. habilis, H. sapiens, and H. sapiens sapiens.