Animal Stereotypes

Primates share many human-like factors, and over time, studies are able to now show that non-human primates have become even more like humans in terms of culture and lifestyle. Primates are intelligent, which allows parents of mammals to teach their young, and the young learn much like humans do. From detailed studies of ape behavior, it is concluded that apes, like humans, use tools and patterns to adapt from what they learn in social groups, rather than it being biological. Primates have been found to laugh, support each other, learn how to medicate themselves and others when in need, have family traditions, show off, grieve, and the list goes on. Learning such things, whether it be human or ape, varies from culture to culture, through social

Can you imagine having a conversation with an animal? Well, some animals are capable of learning and using language. Psychologists are working with many types of animals to learn symbols and language.

We are all animals. Although we like to believe we are superior and justify many of our actions on this ideology. The truth is quite different. We share countless, undeniable similarities with “animals” and to pretend we are some super being that transcends animals status is foolish.

Rats. Most people view them as unsanitary and dangerous animals that dwell in sewers. These stereotypes lead to a general hatred of rats by much of the world’s population. Most people have never had a positive encounter with a rat. As someone who owns a pet rat, I feel it’s my duty to educate people and prove stereotypes wrong. Rats make excellent, clean companions who can come in a large variety of appearances. Positivity about these lovely creatures needs to be spread, and they should be purchased for a bigger purpose than food for snakes. Stigmas should not be developed against something, especially an innocent living creature, until you’ve obtained all the facts and have personal experience.

Depending on who you ask; the Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced “sho-low-itz-queent-li”) is either the ugliest or cutest breed of dog in the world. Also known as the “Mexican Hairless” or “Xolos” for short, they are considered a national treasure in Mexico and have developed cult status due to their unique look and history. Ceramic effigies of Xolos and their remains have been found in the tombs of several ancient civilizations dating as far back as 3,000 years ago- making them one of the oldest known dog breeds in the world. Although their presence has been found in the tombs of the Colima, Mayan, and Toltec tribes they are most commonly associated with the Aztec. Their name is a combination of the words “Xolotl” the Aztec god of lightning and death,

What we see as human only attributes are in fact found with many organisms, not only chimps. The case I bring up would be the use of tools by chimpanzees. What a tool is defined as is “an object that has been modified to fit a purpose”, and this is exactly what Jane Goodall’s example, chimpanzees using twigs to dig for termites, can be defined as (Beauchamp and Frey 2011:232). The idea that chimps have a brain that is able to see a task and make it effortless, which is similar to how a humans brain works. Albeit the creation of tools shows intelligence it is also a basic definition of what makes us humans.

Jane Goodall’s article “The Mind of the Chimpanzee” explores her experiences with man’s closest genetic relative. Goodall’s field studies in Gombe, Tanzania brought her a greater understanding of the mental similarities between humans and chimpanzees. She specifically discusses their complex emotions, mental ability, understanding of American Sign Language (ASL), and even their use and understanding of tools. While the evidence was clear, Goodall battled the scientific community for years. Many argued that animals were incapable of having humane thoughts or individual personalities.

There are countless breeds of horses in the world from east to west, from North America to Asia; yet only a few of those breeds are preferred for riding. Arabian horses are a popular breed used for riding; they originated from the Arabian peninsula. They are favored for riding because they have great endurance, speed, and strong bone,which refine the pleasure and ability to ride freely. Another species treasured in riding, especially for races, is the Thoroughbred, who originated from England. The Thoroughbreds are used in races for their amazing speed, agility, and competitive spirit; they are said to be rather hot-blooded, serving the racers perfectly. The final breed that is valued in riding, in just a fun and free way, is the mustang; as,

They are wild and free Some nice and tame Horses are so different; There are talented racers, And fast cattle chasers If you love them then, You're just like me; Horses make me happy

Most people think of small animals, such as sheep, as meek and submissive due to their frequent portrayal as innocent characters in children’s stories and folklore; in these same stories, antagonistic characters tend to be fiercer animals such as lions or wolves. However, the children’s movie Zootopia, in which all characters are mammals, shows that this is not always the case. The characters in this film break the stereotypes against them by being different or the opposite of what the audience expects based on their species or occupation within the film. For instance, Judy Hopps solves the case on the missing mammals and why they went savage despite being a “dumb bunny”, and Nick Wilde turns from a sly con artist to the first fox cop. This

1. According to the study, dogs do not look like their owners. This was true for non-purebreds and its owners. The study concluded that there was no resemblance between the two. The article did say however that the dogs do somewhat resemble their owners when they were purebred but there was not a level of resemblance between them. Being purebred just allowed the owner to get exactly what they wanted.

For example, imitation and teaching explain that chimpanzee’s may watch their mother doing actions academically (problem-solving) she never gives her young enough feedback or just a simple look to reinforce his observation. He concludes by explaining that humans have a preexisting capacity that allows them to represent what they imagine by combining human elements (language) while, animals clearly do not.

The sound of bamboo being peacefully eaten off a tree has been silenced, for more than 300,000 animals: Elephants. Only a couple of news reports may not seem big, but the numbers of these majestic creatures are losing their lives daily to poachers.

A large portion of the tests written about, compare areas of the human brain to that of certain mammals. These experiments show that the different brains have numerous functions in common when looking at the sensory cortex and the amygdala which is responsible for the “fight or flight” instinct. These results lead to the conclusion that animals do indeed fall somewhere on the spectrum of emotional comprehension. In other studies conducted, researchers question if pet owners familiarity to their companions influence their opinion on just how much animals are capable of feeling and

Animals have been compared to humans for many years. Some theories say that we were created as animals first and then evolved into what we are today. With our brains being very similar to those of animals such as chimpanzees and bottlenose dolphins, it’s hard to not support the evidence that has been presented about animals and how they are able to do things like make logical decisions just like us.