Gorilla Research Paper

Von Beringe discovered the primate on the summits of the Virunga Volcanoes (Berggorilla and Direkthilfe, 2000). The officer described the mountain gorilla as to be a large manlike ape, that was tall in stature (about 1 1/2 meters tall), and weighed over 200 pounds (Schaller, 2010). The mountain gorilla physical characteristics from other subspecies of primate differs by: lengthy hair, jaw, and teeth, as well as shorter arms (http://wwf-congobasin.org/, 2010). The mountain gorilla is one of the most wooly of primates, it has a long thick coat of fur that is necessary for the high cold altitudes. (Hilyard, 2001). Also, when male

Gorillas are the largest group of primates and although they are known as being bipedal, similar to humans and other primates, they often use knuckle walking to move around. On observation, they have seems to have a more robust front appearance than their hind legs and behind. Their cranium is taller than other primates and lower mandible more protruding than their snout. They also have human-like ears that are parallel to their eyes and are small in size. They have

The life history of the Cross River Gorilla is considerably long, ranging from gestation period to death (Save Our Species), (Imong, I., & Robbins, M.). The normal female gorilla will not

At about age 10, mountain gorillas reach sexual maturity and are able to have their own offspring. Females have one infant at a time and have a pregnancy period of 9 months. There are only 3 days each month that female mountain gorillas can conceive. After a female gorilla`s first ovulatory cycle, they have to wait at least 2 years before they

The theory was that gorillas were just one species, but gradually changed as they spread and adapted to different habitats. Gorillas are non-territorial and

Before I get started on the arguments some information needs to be provided first. Silverback gorillas are protectors of their group. These specific gorillas are extremely affectionate and take care of one another. Almost like humans and the “mama/papa bear” instincts that our parents have. They are also very loving animals and will not make or cause harm if it is not necessary. When silverbacks feel that them or their group is in danger they will try to get rid of the intruder by

Gentle, peaceful & shy are the words that describe gorillas. Gorillas in the mountains & eastern lowland areas are totally vegetarian & eat leaves, fruits, & stems like bamboo. On the other hand, gorillas in the Western lowlands eat small invertebrates & insects apart from plants. It’s anticipated that approximately 80% of gorilla population’s extinct, because of the destruction of their habitat, humans hunting them down & diseases as a result of Ebola

First of all, born on July 4, 1971, was a female western lowland gorilla. What’s so important about this gorilla? Well, this gorilla was special, of course nobody knew she was special when she was born, but as she got older, people started realizing how special this gorilla was. Hanabiko, it means fireworks child, due to her birth date. Hanabiko, better known as Koko the Gorilla, started her life at San Francisco Zoo with a life-threatening sickness at a young age. She had to be separated from her mom. Francine “Penny” Patterson is an animal psychologist and was visiting the zoo

I observed a type of Ape known as the Western Lowland Gorilla. The scientific name for a Gorilla is the Gorilla gorilla. Gorillas are the largest of all living primates and at native to west central Africa. Gorillas exhibit sexual dimorphism within their species because males are very obviously much larger than females. The size of the gorillas came across very intimating and gave me an off impression of what this specie was actually going to be like. While observing the gorillas I noticed that these creatures are very slow, lethargic primates. Gorillas move quadrupedally by putting weight down on their arms and knuckles as they walk. They have hands and opposable thumbs, like humans, and are able to grasp things with a better grip. When Gorillas need to reach above themselves such as for leaves or branches they are able to stand on both legs while reaching. While resting Gorillas sit on their bottoms, legs to the side in a similar position that humans do. When resting I noticed that sometimes Gorillas like to take advantage of the moment by self grooming, using their hands. Gorillas usually have an herbivore diet but eat occasional insects. Due to their large body structure it is harder for them move around quickly so they do not need to eat foods that contain as much nutrients and proteins as smaller,

Western and Eastern gorillas are more genetically distant from one another than are chimpanzees and bonobos. There are few striking physical differences between the subspecies of gorilla, although differences in dentition and skulls reveal distinguishing morphological characteristics of each subspecies. Mountain gorillas have significantly longer hair than their conspecifics, while western gorillas have brown hair. Eastern gorillas have longer faces and broader chests than western gorillas (Rowe 1996; Nowak 1999). Gorillas have dark brown to black fur and black skin. Dominant adult males who control the group, is called silverbacks because have a prominent sagittal crest and striking silver coloration from their shoulders to rump.

Characteristics of the Cross River Gorilla include: they are herbivores, have a lifespan of 30-50 years, range from 4-5.5 feet in height, weigh up to 440 pounds, have a top speed of 25 mph, and typically live in lowland rainforests within the Congo basin. The Cross River Gorilla is located

Chapter 4: In chapter 4, Fossey begins to give names to the groups and individuals she is studying. The chapter introduces most of the members of group 5, and describes newborns, fights, and some of the activities the gorillas partake in together. Each member of the troop identifies one another by sound. The group has two silverback males, Beethoven, the leader of the troop, and Bartok, a young silverback male, Brahms, adult females Effie, Marchessa, Bravado, young boys Puck and Icarus, and many other gorillas. One of the females, Bravado, has a baby named Curry. After the group is attacked one night, Curry is found dead my Fossey the next morning. Expecting to see Bravado sad and depressed, Fossey found her happy and joyful. This lead Fossey to think that it was an effort to forget the baby instead of mourning it. From time to time, other groups attack the group and some of the gorillas are injured, but these injuries never seem to be fatal. Effie, a female in the group, has a child, who loves to play with

The event, largely considered a popular tourist attraction, has been taking place for the past 11 years. This year, in a scene The Guardian describes as “reminiscent of Planet of the Apes,” a dozen performers in hairy gorilla suits took the place of the 24 baby gorillas, which were not present at the ceremony.

Beginning with the most intelligent of the bunch, the (western lowland) gorillas I observed were quite inactive. This is certainly so because they are known to only be hunted by man leaving no competition outside of their own species. This fact makes it apparent why these kings of the jungle sit around so often. In the wild and even in zoos it may be difficult for a male to find mates because groups of gorillas are POLYGYNOUS. So usually one male is the father of all of the offspring. Being this way, male gorillas must display DOMINANCE over others and even stand their ground against an incoming male that may threaten the family. Going back to how they sit all day, gorillas are able to do this because they don’t even have to move to replenish energy for the reason that they are grass and leaf eaters (vegetarians). Not having to move very much makes gorillas capable of having a low-quality diet.

A younger silverback was often born within the group, and would assume responsibilities of the dominating one once he became too weak or died. Dian's studies proved to us that a gorilla family was unlikely to survive without its dominant silverback to protect them. This allows people to view gorilla society as a somewhat organized structure.