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Mbuti Pygmies Research Paper

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Very simply, depth perception, is the ability to see things in three dimensions and to perceive how near or far away people and objects are. One way humans perceive depth is by having eyes that are spaced a little bit apart, this is contrary to certain animals that tend to be prey, and have evolved so that their eyes are on either side of their head to enable them to spot predators. Predator animals, on the other hand, usually have eyes positioned closely together, like humans, to enable them to spot, chase, and swoop down upon prey. The basis for depth perception is founded around the brains usage of both monocular and binocular cues. Monocular cues are used when looking at objects with one eye closed, they help an individual to form a …show more content…

The Pygmies thrive in the forests of the Congo River basin by hunting bush pigs and antelope and gathering bananas, yams, beans, nuts, and honey. The Mbuti Pygmies are an indigenous tribe dwelling in the Ituri forest located in Northeast Zaire and account for nearly half of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve’s 20,000 residents, living in small family-oriented bands, hunting bush meat, and sleeping in huts. The Mbuti are physically distinct, rarely exceeding heights of five feet, the small stature of adult Pygmy peoples is widely accepted to be the result of genetic adaption; theories include adaptions to diet limitations, forest mobility, low levels of vitamin D caused by a lack of exposure to ultraviolet light, and short lifespans. Unique to only a few habitats in the world the forest of the Congo River basin is self-sustaining, Pygmies living in these forest locations need not travel outside of the area for the necessities of life. This in combination with the area being densely populated with vast amounts of trees and various vegetation creates a very secluded lifestyle, the Pygmies receive very little exposure from outside cultures and vice …show more content…

Turnbull and Kenge stumbled across an interesting observation. Kenge was unable to grasp the concept of depth perception beyond approximately one hundred feet. While standing in an opening at the edge of the forest, Kenge did not understand what the mountains in the distant foreground were. Not only did Kenge experience a lack of adaptation to a primary sensory complex, his culture did not provide for adequate language skills to describe the thought processes going through his mind when standing up close to the mountains. Later while visiting the mountains Dr. Turnbull and Kenge observed a herd of bison in the far off distance, Kenge was unaware the type of “insects” he was observing. Dr. Turnbull explained that they were actually bison and not only were they bison but they were much larger than the ones Kenge had been exposed to throughout his life. This was pure nonsense in Kenge’s eyes, he would later have issues understanding the same concept with a boat. Only after repeated expose to such instances did Kenge start to process the cues of depth perception and question his limited senses that had developed throughout his early

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