Scoop on Primates

In times when a word is stubbornly stuck on the tip of my tongue, or when I accidentally call my neighbor Steve when his name if Jack, I seriously wish I were a chimp! Especially since I found out that chimp brains do not age the same way as human brains do. According to a study published by Chet Sherwood of The George Washington University, humans are paying a price for evolution - i.e. brain shrinkage.  Sherwood and his team set about to determine whether chimps' brains also experience noticeable aging. Using MRI to measure various brain areas in groups of humans from age 22 to 88 and chimpanzees from age 10 to 51, the scientists discovered that chimpanzee brains age with much less degeneration than human brains do. Sherwood's conclusion is that "the high energy cost of a large brain in humans leads to more wear and tear that cannot be easily repaired because most neurons are not renewed", thereby making human brains more vulnerable to degenerative diseases such...

An article published in Science Daily in January 2010 talked about the importance of siblings on human children's socialization.  Their influence is such that as adults, and long after we have departed the nest, our lives are still considerably influenced by them socially and emotionally. The article was based on studies carried out by Professor Laurie Kramer (Illinois University) on siblings as "agents of socialization". Friends are also very important in socialization and have a considerable influence on us, especially during our teen years.  Studies show that adolescents often pick up smoking as a result of "peer pressure". Our parents teach us right from wrong, how to behave in public, clean up, eat properly.  They teach us the basics, as well as the love and care we need. Similarly, m onkey and great ape mothers are instrumental in the development of their offsprings. They protect them from danger, feed them, teach them the essential skills they will ne...

There is nothing sadder than a parent mourning an infant.  Such experience is not limited to humans. Non human primates (as well as other animals) mourn their dead family members and friends. Or at least they do show sign of sadness, grief and stress related to the death of a companion. In "Baboon Metaphysics, The Evolution of a Social Mind" Dorothy L. Cheney and Robert M. Seyfarth write about the theory of mind in baboons, the rudiments of consciousness and self-awareness. They describe the social life of baboons and how each individual acquires and constantly updates their knowledge about individuals' status and ranks within the group and talk about how female baboons react to loss: "The greatest stressors affecting female baboons are unpredictable events over which they have little control: predator attacks and infanticide." They go on to explain how female baboons cope by enlarging their social network, increasing their grooming activities and thereby lo...

Assuming we agree the theory of mind applies to monkeys and apes, what could prevent us from thinking that, much like our early human ancestors, they too lend significance to external phenomena they have no control over?  Thunder, fire, the moon, the sun, waterfalls can stir awe, wonder or fear in humans.  Why couldn't the same natural phenomena stir similar emotions in animals? In "J.T., JR, The Biography of an African Monkey" (1928), Delia J. Akeley , first wife of the famous taxidermist Carl Akeley , recounts her life with J.T. the female vervet monkey she adopted and whom she studied.   She writes: "While the porters were busy cutting down the undergrowth to clear a site for the tents, I gathered an armful of flowers and maidenhair ferns.  I was arranging them in a paraffin tin (my safari vase) when J.T., who was tied to the limb of a tree, attracted my attention by her excited manner and peculiar cries.  In an effort to learn the cause of her agitation I ...

As humans we tend to believe that we can outsmart animals of any kind and when it comes to monkeys and apes, we are generally pretty sure our good looks are not the only determining factor of our superiority. Many have tried over the years to test animal intelligence, but how fair is it? Most tests are based on the use of language and they've all been developed by humans for humans. How can we compare the intelligence of a chimp to that of a capuchin monkey to that of a goat or a pig?   What is intelligence? Howard Gardner talks about multiple forms of intelligence in his book "Frame of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences" published in 1983.  His work, which is in direct line with that of John Dewey, has had considerable influence on methods of education in the United States. According to Gardner there are nine forms of intelligence :  * naturalist - the ability to discriminate between living entities * musical - the ability to discern sounds, pitch and rythm * ...

The Associated Press reported last week that five people in possession of exotic animal body parts, including gorilla and chimpanzee heads and hands, were arrested in Gabon. The market for exotic animal body parts is varied - some parts are used in rituals, some are used as trophies, others yet are used for meat (refer to Bushmeat post December 2008 on this blog for more info). According to an article published in the Gorilla Journal in 1999 by Angela Meder , even though most people now use western medicine, some traditions are still alive.  For example, eating gorilla meat is believed to transfer the strength of the gorilla to the person consuming it; keeping dried gorilla hands is said to bring good luck. Read:  Gabon arrests 5 found with ape heads and body parts   (AP). Poachers are a reality those dedicated to the conservation of non-human primates have to contend with, however education and solutions to curb down poverty are key. There are many initia...

Monkeys and apes are vulnerable to many of the same diseases that affect humans - such as hepatitis B and C, turberculosis, infections caused by bacteria such as salmonella, parasites, cataract, arthritis, cancer to name but a few. Given the fact that populations in the wild are ever diminishing and human habitats are ever encroaching on the natural habitat of monkeys and apes, it is very important for non-profit groups operating in the field to receive all the veterinary medical help they can get. Access to veterinary supplies is crucial to help these organizations prevent epidemics not only among monkeys and apes but also to stop diseases from potentially spreading to neighboring human populations. However funds are always scarce, this is why the existence of VETS is great news to many non-profit organizations working with non-human primates. The non-profit Project VETS (Veterinary supplies) was started in 2009 by Dr Candy Sayles to help non-profit organizations worldwide. ...