Other Primates

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,

Primates are one of the most interesting mammals on earth, not only because of their complex social structures, but because they hold so many similar characteristics to humans. Primates are often cited as our closest living relatives and on two separate occasions I observed four separate species of primates at the San Diego Zoo that can justify their use of their physical characteristics and behaviors that may be similar as well as different to the other primates and ours.


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

Within this essay, we will study more in depth the behavioral as well as physical traits of two primates at a zoo from their interaction with their peers to their place in the group. This observation would enable us to further understand the possible existing correlation between humans and primates. First, I studied a female chimpanzee with her baby, and then, a dominant male gorilla, in San Francisco Zoo at about noon, on May 23, 2015, for an hour each. Even though they share some similarities such as having a large brain, living for a long time, and being bored in their enclosure, they are still different; when gorillas are the largest, chimpanzees are the smartest. In fact, chimps use tools to catch food, they would not be able to reach

Non human primates’ social organization can provide useful information how human social evolution occurs. We will go over main points of how similar and different non human primates such as chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas’ society are compared to ours, humans.

1. Introduction: Extent Primates provide great insight as analogies into facilitating an understanding of how tool use, culture and cognition developed in the early hominid lineage. Archaeologists interpret primate behaviors and social structures as a means of investigating the evolution of hominin technology. This process will be briefly outlined as well as a number of the benefits and disadvantages presented when using extant primates as analogies in this way.

Since they live among large groups and are very social, they develop bonds with each other. Chimpanzees are known to use tools for their daily activities and the use sticks is to retrieve insects and stones is used to shatter things. Chimpanzees are intelligent primates that use their natural specific behaviors to survive in the wild; therefore keeping them happy in captive can be a difficult task if there is little understanding or knowledge of them by the

Have you ever noticed that we love to observe primates? You may not realize it, but it is because we know how closely related we are to them. By observing and studying contemporary primate behavior we are able to better understand our own evolution as hominins. Studying primate behavior, especially locomotion and cooperation, has allowed us to discover the evolution of behaviors to where we are now. Locomotion and cooperation are two main behaviors that define hominins and the evolution of humans overall.

Social behavior is a key aspect of human and primate growth. The ability to bond socially, for protection as well as growth, is a key factor in the successive evolution that occurred between primates, and early humans. One of these social behaviors is tool making. Tool making and use is very significant to primate evolution, as it displays not only a significant growth in cognition, but certain physical evolutionary attributes that can be seen to the present day. Tool making in primates shows an increase in both physical growth and mental capacity, and those attributes led this activity to become socially important in early human societies.

Due to the higher degree of intelligence, different types of primates engage in different complex social groups. The three main ways to group primate societies are monogamous, polygynous and multi male multi female groups.

Apes show concern for one another very much like humans do. Researchers in the article written by Dixon explain this affectionate trait is prevalent in young Bonobos. Monkey kiss, hug and embrace each other for comfort very much like humans do. Monkeys who scream frequently and are not quieted by these emotional exchanges show less compassion for others. Dixon’s article mentions Bonobos who are under the care of their mother are more self aware, more affectionate, well adjusted and less prone to fits. The article written article for the Telegraph is intended for the average reader and lacks detail. Although the article by Dixon touches on some affectionate behaviors, it leaves out the exchange discussion that evolution or DNA share between humans and the primates. Such a simple article leaves more to be desired.

One major dissimilarity is the sexual relationships. Chimps do not enjoy having sex recreationally. Only when having to mate do they engage in sex. Of course because intercourse only taking about 10 to 15 minutes, chimps will often eat at the same time because they have no emotional connections or attachments.

Primate social behavior: primate behavior is the most complex among non-human primates. Primates form social groups (van Schaik, 1983). Why groups? They form groups to defense their resources, defense against predators, social control e.g. dominance hierarchies and Group cohesion like grooming. Also for protection and rising of young: mother-infant bond (Cheney, 1992).

The discovery of inheritability of social behavior traits among non-human primates has important implications for people as it reinforces other research that suggests that such characteristics as sociability and impulsive

Furthermore, both Humans and these small primates practice cooperative responsibility for their young, and this lead some scientists to believe that this cooperation was responsible for altruistic behaviors. Therefore, a group of researchers from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Great Britain were lead by anthropologist Judith Burkart who developed a new model of group service in which they were able to study spontaneous selfless behavior that is consistent with more types of primates. The researcher’s study was done to see if individuals from a certain primate species were willing to provide other group members with a treat, even if that meant they would not get one. They tested twenty-four groups of fifteen different species of primates. The second part of the study tested if 4-7 year olds acted altruistically. As expected, the researchers found that the propensity to care for others outside of your own genetically related family greatly varied between each of the primate species. More surprisingly, both humans and callitrichid monkeys consistently provided the other group with their treat and therefore acted the most altruistic; however, what caught the researchers attention was that when they studied the chimpanzees, a close relative to humans, they very rarely behaved selflessly, as did most of the other primate species like the capuchins and macaques groups, even though they are regarded as having high cognitive skills. Before the study was conducted, the researchers assumed that altruistic behavior demonstrated by primates could be ascribed to characteristics they share with humans, like strong social bonds, high cognitive skills, large brains, and high social tolerance; however, Burkart’s research shows that sharing these qualities does not in fact predict how altruistic a species will behave. Nevertheless,