Scoop on Primates

You most likely have come across apes using some form of language that they learned from humans. Koko communicates with a set of symbols.  Washoe, Nim and other chimps were taught sign language. Scientists are still finding evidence that monkeys and apes in the wild are using different calls to identify various things.  The howler monkeys (see video link below) announce themselves with a loud scream to dissuade anybody who might even think about going into their territory.  Most monkeys have alarm sounds they use to warn the rest of the troup when a predator is nearby, so everyone can run to safety. Yet, humans have not been able to crack the code that would allow our species to communicate with other primates.  Is it because primates lack a language as such? In an article published in the NY Times on January 12, St Andrews University (Scotland) Dr Klaus Zuberbühler confirms that monkeys have specific sounds for specific situations or predators.  Campbell's m...

In Ancient Egypt, hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) were the sacred monkeys - they were chosen as the representatives of Thoth, the messenger of the Gods.  Thoth was also represented as an Ibis bird. Hamadryas baboons are not native to Egypt, they are found in Somalia, Ethiopia, Erithrea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.  How they got to Egypt is unclear. It is probable that they were imported from Nubia and then sold in Egypt as pets or to temples where they formed colonies. Baboons were not only chosen as the representatives of Thoth, but also as representatives of the Sun God Re.  This could be due to the fact that baboons bark at the rising sun. During the 26th Dynasty, sacred baboons were buried in the Ibis necropolis near Tuna-el-Gebel.  Some mummified baboons were also discovered by archeologists.

In the 1950s and 960s, many non-primate beings were used for space research.  They were the heroes of the time but their fleeting fame was only that.  They had to endure hours of testing in various machines so that someday mankind could set foot on the moon and launch into the exciting adventure that space exploration must be. A lot of these creatures died after their brief travel into space, others were sent out to labs to help humans in other ways.  Fortunately not all of them have a dismal fall, some chimps are lucky and have landed in a sanctuary called " Save the Chimps  " located in Fort Pierce, Florida, founded in 1997 by Carol Noon. Check out this footage from Universal News about Space Monkeys in the 1950s  . If you happen to have any images, old magazines of the time, please contact me as I am doing some research on the subject and would be interested in getting my hands on anything relating to this.  Thanks!

Listening to Susan Savage-Rumbaugh is inspiring.  She knows bonobos. She understands them and attempts to make the rest of us see what some refuse to see. The "forgotten ape" as Frans DeWaal like to call the bonobo, is not a pervert or  a beast.  It is a gentle, beautiful, intelligent creature, able to communicate and learn tasks by watching others.    An expert at resolving conflicts in a peaceful manner. Through her studies , Savage-Rumbaugh is demonstrating that the capabilities of a species are not solely determined by biology but mainly by exposure to other cultures. In this very inspiring  video you will see bonobos writing, starting a fire, playing pac-man, grooming their baby. Bonobos are an endangered species living in the Congo.  The estimated population of bonobos in situ is around 5,000.  It was estimated to about 10,000 in 1990.

Some of you may have heard about elephant attacks against humans.  These wonderful creatures have an extremely good memory and apparently do bear grudges and have been witnessed around the world attacking humans in retaliation for taking over territory that once belonged to them. In December of 2000, a story originally published by Saoudi newspaper Al-Riyadh and picked up by other newspapers, including French Libération  , recounted the incredible attack of a car on a road linking Mecca to Taëf.  Apparently, a car drove over a hamadryas baboon and left him dead on the road.  The members of his troop waited three long days until the car came back and launched an attack against it.  One of the baboons (a leader?) screamed when the car appeared thereby starting the bout of stone throwing at the vehicle.  The driver got out safe but the windshield was shattered. This attack is very interesting - it tends to indicate that baboons are aware of death and that ...

The discovery of "Ardi" in 1994 in Ethiopia may well have been the missing link scientists had been searching for.  This week scientists revealed the result of this 15 year long study. The partial skeleton of a female Ardipithecus ramidus, nicknamed "Ardi", is estimated to be about 4.4 million years old. This hominid seems to have been the ancestor to both humans and apes.  However, evidence shows that she did not knuckle-walk but walked standing upright.  This means that our ancestors walked straight over one million years ealier than previously thought.   This changes the theory that prevailed until now - i.e. humans must have been walking on all fours.  Since apes also descend from Ardi but they knuckle-walk, this also means that knuckle-walking is an adaptation and that therefore apes evolved as much as humans did. For more information read: Discovery in Ethiopia casts light on human origins - Reuters  . Discovery of "Ardi" sheds light on hu...

This week I want to share two very cool videos. The first one shows Bonobos having a lot of fun in their enclosure.  I wouldn't be surprised if trapeze artists take inspiration from these beautiful apes.  (Drum roll) And now watch the amazing " Spinning... Bonobos  ". The second is about the 7th gorilla run that took place in London on 9/28 to raise funds to save the endangered gorilla population. Enjoy and please leave a note on the blog if you know of other events like the Gorilla Run.