Primates are considered to be one of the most interesting mammals on earth to study due to their numerous similarities with humans and their complexities in life. Today we look at primates as our closest relatives, meaning that observations and research will not only give us information about non-human primates, but human primates as well. There were many primates to choose from, though I decided to observe two types of primates, the Western Lowland Gorilla, and the Tufted Capuchin Monkey. Both species of primates were observed at the San Diego Zoo. With my research, I will collect data from my observations, give background information from credible sources, and explain the interactions I encountered while observing the two different primates. Before attempting to understand ourselves and other species as primates, it is important to understand that scientific research is the basis for determining our origins as primates, understanding certain species of primates, and why we consider primates to be our closest ancestor. According to the San Jose Research Center, there are about 190 living species of primates known to man. There are three existent theories regarding the origin of primates. The first theory to be studied by human kind is the arboreal theory. This is the theory that claims that primates have evolved from their ancestors by adapting to arboreal life. What this means is that primates are believed to have developed certain characteristics when adapting to living in trees. Another important factor to consider when thinking about the arboreal theory is that primates relied on sight rather than smell. This could possibly be due to the depth perception needed to swing through trees efficiently to get to certain places. No... ... middle of paper ... ... live in arboreal habitats, while Old World Monkeys are able to tolerate a wider range of habitats. With this being said, it is important to understand that Old World and New World monkeys may look similar, yet a closer look reveals unique and distinctive differences. One of the species I chose to center my research paper on is the Tufted Capuchin Monkey. The Tufted Capuchin Monkey’s scientific name is the Cebus Apella Apella, yet they are also known as brown capuchin, black-capped capuchin, or even pin monkey. The Tufted Capuchin is most commonly found east of the Andes from Colombia and Venezuela to Paraguay and Northern Argentina. We find these unendangered monkeys to be living in rain forests, low montane forests, and semi-deciduous lowlands. Also, Capuchin Monkeys are found to have the widest range and broadest habitat tolerances of any other Cebus species.
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.
A Primate’s Memoir, written by Robert Sapolsky, documents the author’s time in Kenya while he studied the various behaviors of a troop of baboons. One of the key aspects of the book was the social rank that developed within the troop. Female baboons have a social hierarchy that is fairly cut and dry. The eldest baboons in the troop are considered the higher-ranking females, and as the baboons get younger, so to follows the string of dominance. The ranking for males was essentially from the strongest baboons to the weakest baboons. The baboon at the top of the social hierarchy was considered the alpha male. This social rank has huge implications for the troop in regards to which baboons mated with each other. If another baboon wanted to become the alpha male, then he would have to challenge the current alpha male to a fight, and win. The baboon’s distinct personality mixed with their instincts are the primary factors for where one lands on the social hierarchy. Another key aspect of the book was the strategies that took place when the baboons wanted to mate with another baboon. Similar to humans, the baboon males tried to impress the female baboons in a way that would make them want to mate. The rank of the male is considered to be one of the greatest factors contributing to what mate they end up with, because there is nothing more impressive than becoming a high-ranking baboon. Also, there were instances of lower-ranking baboons strategizing and forming teams with other baboons to become a higher ranking baboon for the mating possibilities. The baboons in the group are considered a patch-work of different troops, as it is common for one baboon to move to different groups frequently.
There are contrasts in tool kits used by different groups of chimpanzees, which seem to be a result of the environment in which they live as well as information that is shared by the group. For example, in 1973 it was reported that chimpanzees in Gombe did not use hammer stones, but those of Cape Palmas did. We will explore the tool use of Chimpanzees from the wild, including Gombe, Tai National Forest, and the Congo Basin---and contrast those with Chimpanzees in captivity in locations of Zoo’s both in the United States and abroad.
In addition to these differences, New World monkeys are almost exclusively arboreal and most of them are smaller than Old World monkey species. Some Old World monkeys and apes are semi-terrestrial. If you see a group of monkeys casually walking around in a grassland environment (like those shown on the right), you can be sure that they are from the Old World.
Continuous human degradation of the Cross River gorilla is the primary cause of their dwindling numbers. An amazing species that once prospered in the jungle has been abused to near extinction. Because human interference is the cause of the gorillas decreasing numbers, it is humanities obligation to suspend the practices that lead to their demise. In doing so, we must also explore the options we have to repopulate a species with an intellect second only to humans. Aside from the obvious cruelty of this issue, repopulating the Cross River gorilla is important because the gorillas endangerment is just a byproduct of the unsustainable, and barbaric human interference that is destroying an entire ecosystem. In addition to the extinction of the Cross River gorilla, we will also lose a vast unexplored environment. To end this species demise, we must fight to control the issues that
Quiatt, D., & Reynolds, V. (1993). Primate behaviour: information, social knowledge, and the evolution of culture. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press].
She did this by educating her readers’ on the baboon life, by informing them of new discoveries about them, and expressing how the continued study of primates is still very important to help further our understanding of human behavior and human evolution. This book was very informative, properly organized, and kept the reader’s attention without falter. Strum led the way for incredible future findings and discoveries into the world of primates and what they have to offer humanity. The courage she had to go against leading opinions and ideas in the scholarly world helped to pave the way for future anthropologists to do the same and to not just agree with previous findings. To search for their own truths and conclusions, because of this Shirley Strum’s research will continue to reach and inspire the minds of generations to
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.
There are many individuals around the world who are unaware of the intellectual capacity of chimpanzees and other primates. According to National Geographic, chimpanzees are one of our closest living relatives; we share ninety-eight percent of our DNA with them (“Chimpanzees”). Chimpanzees can be naturally found in Southern Senegal, the Congo River, Western Uganda, and Western Tanzia; Gombe National Park in Tanzia is the first park in Africa that was specifically developed for chimpanzees (“Chimpanzee”). Although it can be shocking for some, chimpanzees are dexterous individuals and are capable of manufacturing tools and putting them to use. Tool-usage for chimpanzees ranges from foraging to hygiene purposes, but uses of tools vary among each population (Watts). Chimpanzees use twigs, stones, branches, leaves, rocks, and much more to create the tools they need to assist them with certain tasks such as retrieving termites from their mounds with stripped twigs (Atkinson). Jane Goodall was the first person to document such tool use in the wild.
There is great debate over the concept of primate evolution. Some research supports the idea that evolution occurred linearly as a continuum while other research supports the idea that fossils found to date should be separated into individual species. Through morphological, and geological evidence this paper explores this topic and provides concise arguments to further develop the understanding of human primate evolution.
The first thing that caught my attention was how each primate evolved to fit its environment. For example, Ring-tailed lemurs, which live exclusively on Madagascar, are both arboreal and terrestrial meaning their environment must have plentiful forests. I thought it was very interesting when the troop of lemurs went to the stream to drink and used their tails as a signal other members of the troop. I had never heard of lemurs using their tails for this purpose before. Sifakas lemurs also only live on Madagascar, but these lemurs developed longer
The emergence of human primates has been a mystery for years. Humans have evolved and grown as a species in a way that is so intricate it is unlike any other species the world has seen. The intricate ways in which we have evolved may come from our ancestors of non-human primates. The close relationship human primates and non-human primates share come to a theory of shared commonalities.
One of the major causes for primate endangerment is logging. Logging, the harvesting of trees for timber, disrupts the home of many primates such as orangutans, gorillas, red colobus monkeys, howler monkeys, and chimpanzees. Even though there are specific areas that are protected by law, it is not enough to save these primates because illegal logging is very common: “Nevertheless, records for penalizing poachers are often poor, because wildlife protection is rarely a national or even local priority. Corruption can often be an additional major problem that tempts poorly paid and resourced park managers, guards and local authorities to disregard law, thus undermining effective conservation programs,” (Tranquili et al. 2014). Since arboreal primates
More than 90 percent of primate species live in African, Asian, and Neotropic rain forests. Any outside force that alters the size and structure of these forests will directly affect primate populations. The major players that cause habitat...