National Geographic Wild's Video 'The Changing Ape'

Natural Selection is one of the most interesting aspects that developed by the process and is given to the environmental primates. The evolutionary process is for the survival of the fittest,it has proteins that travel from the DNA. The changes focus on life of the primates and are responsible for the phenotype that makes each one of us different than the rest. Since humans are primates, humans and apes have been said to share a lot of similarities. In chapter six, it talked about traits from non human primates to characteristics. More efficient, greater dependence of flexible learned behavior. Other than humans,primates consist of lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes. Primate social behavior is understanding the concepts distinguished

First, the chimpanzees are very similar to humans in terms of social behavior. Chimps have a very specific type of living which is very alike to humans in terms of behavior and life of a community. As far as social structure, the huge example is the separated communities in terms of manpower such as the rise of Figan. When he turns into his power, the old adult chimp, mike,


Humans and non-human primates have many behaviors and characteristics in common. Apes and chimpanzees have been studies and closely watched for many years. Scientist and researchers and found many similarities between the apes and chimpanzees with humans. All three are hard working and work with tools. They also make these tools. Another similarity is the fact that they are very social with others of their breed. This is also true about other primates other than apes and chimpanzees, like lemurs, lorises, pottos, and tarsiers. Apes and chimpanzees are able to learn sign language and elementary math skills. All primates have nails instead of claws on their fingers and toes. Both non-human primates and humans all have opposable thumbs. They use these thumbs to be able to pick up things better and they are thumbs that are able to move and touch other parts of the same hand. Non-human primates, including humans, learn by watching their mothers and other family members. For example, chimpanzees learn to make stick tools to stick into holes to get termites to eat. They do this because the mothers never teach them

there are many arguments surrounding what defines culture and how it is possible to label all animals, including non-human primates, as exhibiting signs of possessing culture. They may not take in the opera or sip fine wines, but the verdict is in: apes are cultured. Fifty years of research on the apes has shown they use tools, communicate, and sometimes shake their hands just because it’s cool.

Over the years, this topic of whether nonhuman primates possess culture or not, has generated numerous debates. This has led to conversations on what is culture and if it is uniquely human. How each researcher defines culture correlates with whether they believe non-human primates possess culture. The definitions provided by scientists and other researchers vary based on its complexity and how loosely or specific they define it; as well as how inclusive and exclusive they are about what is considered a culture. This varies from discipline to discipline where anthropologist believes that culture is learned while biologist believe it is an innate trait.

     I think that if culture is defined as learned behavior, than it is reasonable to say that primates posses a form of culture. Primates have been observed making tools to aid in collecting food and developing communication system, both of which are learned behaviors.

Marshall-Pescini and Whiten (2008) discuss social learning with chimpanzees in East Africa, focusing on the task of nut-cracking. Nut-cracking is unique to wild chimpanzees who live in West Africa, so this study intended to measure whether or not chimpanzees who do not live in the wild in West Africa would demonstrate the same ability to learn nut-cracking. The study took place on Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria, Uganda at a

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

There is some great evidence for the argument that primates have their own culture, so it is no wonder that it is getting harder for people to argue that they do not. There are plenty of pictures of primates hugging each other, laughing, and even making tools. The more I read about primates the more I see how similar they are to humans. Chimps use grooming as a way of social reconciliation, as well as helping each other out. Humans were also thought to be one of the only species to engage in sexual activity without the sole cause being conception. Primates have been observed engaging in sexual acts that tend to strengthen social bonds and defuse conflict. Scientists have also taught primates how to use sign language as a means of communication.

Primates are not just shared between humans, it is in fact shared with other species in the world. One example is the early stages of when humans were discovered showed that we were once apes back in the day and then we started to change throughout evolution. We do share the same non-verbal gestures with apes so we recognize the similarities between the two. This is why primate reproduction is so important. Apes are the number one sign of primatology has made our understanding more and more a like to us humans. Primate reproduction is important because the more we reproduce humans and other species the more cultures will change among the world. Primates have become more like humans regarding our different cultures that we continue to share

Gretchen Vogel, a contributing correspondent for the journal Science, wrote an article on how primate culture can help us learn the roots of human culture. Vogel refers to a primatologists and psychologists research on differences in habits between chimpanzee groups at different locations. The research mostly focuses on chimpanzees and their ability to learn from one another. Vogel writes about the evidence of primate culture that is based on field studies comparing the chimpanzee skills and behaviors in groups around Africa. According to Vogel geographic differences impacts a chimpanzee’s specific behavior and skills. She states that even if we do not consider primate behaviors a culture researchers say that primate traditions may offer insight

We have always differences and similarities Humans, Bonobos and chimps are close relatives in evolution. Chimps and bonobos can be considered as siblings and humans as their first cousin. We are so similar in many aspects that humans seem to have a very marginal

Primatology has shown just how similar we are to non-human primates, who are capable of a lot more than we originally thought. From a young age primates learn from adults how to make and use tools to help them with hunting or doing a certain activity. For instance, it was stated in the textbook that Chimpanzees have been known to put long sticks into a termite hole, wait a few minutes, and then pull the stick out to eat the termites that attached to it. All of these require dexterity, which is often seen as a human trait. They also use twigs to clean their teeth, very similar to the way humans use dental tools to clean their teeth.

For my final paper for this class I will be going over and portraying the behavior of non-human primate and human primate in the literature and movies we went over, compared to the evolutionary understandings of primate behavior. Throughout this class we studied and compared the different primates, including human and non-humans. According to the Wikipedia, “The primate lineage is thought to go back at least 65 million years ago.” with that one could say that research on non-human and human primate can somehow explain the theory behind evolution. In addition to the different reading materials we had in class we also watched several movies displaying different behaviors of non-human primate and human primate. With that saying, I developed a thesis statement, despite its differences and similarities between non-human primates and human primates behavior, can evolution be understood differently when comparing the two through various readings, movies and evolutionary research. Throughout this paper I will be going over the differences and similarities in behavior, evolution, a higher power and even my take on such an opposition.

They can be shown how to use certain objects like toys or phones to understand the meaning of them. Phones can also teach them ways as to how humans communicate. The Chimp living with the family learns only from that family and what he is being taught. The one living in it's natural habitat, learns from humans who are teaching them certain things and their surroundings as well. They will also be taught different words to teach them how to communicate with humans by speaking.