Primate Behavior Research Paper

The Gorilla beringei beringei or mountain gorilla, was first discovered on October 17th 1902, by a German officer named Captain Robert von Beringe (Berggorilla and Direkthilfe, 2002). Mountain gorillas play a large role in it’s particular ecosystem through consumption the gorillas control and maintain vegetation that is vital for a healthy environment not only for the primate but also other species that live in the environment as well. Since the discovery of the mountain gorilla much fascination has been drawn toward the species. However, the gentle creature’s population has had a sharp decline from Rwanda’s belief in sumu, poaching, human disease, and unregulated tourism. In efforts to revive the species population from extinction, persistent activism through worldly foundations are helping protect the mountain gorilla species.

After about 10 minutes, he is abruptly bothered by the youngster who is running on his knuckles towards the male and runs back up the hill as if he is taunting him. The youngster does it about 3 mores times within the next 7 minutes and perches upon the hill in the same position as the silverback, except he is bended at the knees in squat position. In my second visit, I return to the gorilla exhibit for about 10 minutes to see a female unknown if related to the previous observation in submission. She is found crouched to the floor with her elbows on the ground and hands extended out and her butt perched up. Her hind legs are also bent and position to help support her butt. Three minutes upon observation, a silverback male comes running on his knuckles from another part of the exhibit and mounts the female. He positions himself on his knuckles to provide him support and continues with the sexual intercourse, in which I conclude my observations.

Female gorillas leave the group when they are mature enough to start breeding. Females often do not get attached to one another, for competition of grooming and staying

(Dunbar, 1983) Among mountain gorillas, half of all the groups are one male. However, females leave from one group to another. “Polygynous females might be compensated for loss of exclusive paternal care by mating with a genetically superior male, thereby increasing the likelihood of their progeny’s survival and ability to produce offspring (Alatalo and Lundberg 1986).” (Hoglund, J. 1995) The competition for these mating opportunities is driven by the female’s choice. When this occurs, the males lose females to another one male group and it exploits what males mating opportunities.

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.

During my research of Orangutans and Mandrills I observed them in captivity at the San Diego Zoo. My observations included a 20 minute observation of each primate as it cohabitated with other Primates and with other members of its own species. My findings will support the research of Orangutans and Mandrills through firsthand observations.

For the Orangutan in the zoo each enclosure they had a total of three orangutan in each pen, most were all adults, except one which was a young juvenile. As well as it is appear to be that none of these orangutan are a part of a subgroup because some, if not all isolated themselves from others. In which is very common according to Lang C. (2005), "Adult males and independent adolescents of both sexes range alone while adult females range with their dependent and weaned offspring" (Primate Factsheet pongo, para. 1). So the zoo's orangutan act very similar to the wild ones. Next the differences is how are they physically built between in each others. For the orangutan, if they are standing they are about 5 feet tall, however including arm and leg span due to how they are built to climb and swing to places their body size will be seven feet tall. Another difference was that they had no tail due to they ancestors evolution to who they are now, which remove the chance of having the ability to have a prehensile tail in the process. The last physically difference is their hands. They have all fingers and thumbs, but they don't use their thumbs to grab; they use mostly their fingers to grasp objects. Which make them who they are

Typically the silverback male that is in charge will be considered the dominant Alpha Gorilla and would be the one that gets to spread their genetic code amongst all the females. Before, Titus became into power in this rare case he had very good physical features and was able to mate with the females behind Beetsme’s back.

All of the gorilla males have no hair on chest as well as no hair on their face hand or feet; once a male gets to a certain age he starts to grow silver hair on his back and is called a silverback. All of the species have long arms, are very muscular, have dark skin, and are six inches shorter than the average man. Silverbacks, the biggest male gorilla in a troop, are bigger, have a silverback, than a black back, and has a more oval face but a black back has a circular face and is all black(Wexo). Males as well as females also have a short nose with large nostrils, and heavy eyebrow ridges (Gorilla).

Direct female-female competition is an important feature of woolly monkey reproductive biology. Direct competition regarding reproduction among males was minimal despite the fact that females mated with multiple males. Relationships with females were similar in the sense that they were generally tolerant but non-affilitive; females often directed harassment toward copulating pairs.

Behaviorally and socially each species differ from one another extensively. In the S. oerstedi species, primates live in abundant multi male and female groups. Between males and females there tends to be low levels of aggression and social interactions. The males and females differ from one another based on their affiliations whereas females have low associations while males are the opposite. It is the males who remain in their natal groups while the females leave their groups once the have reached sexual maturity and leave to mate, often moving throughout more than one group in their

Gorilla’s main locomotion pattern is quadrupedal knuckle-walking, although they do climb when young and spend limited amounts of time standing bipedal. Group size is usually five to ten individuals, but can vary from two to over fifty members. Usually there is one adult dominant male Gorilla in the group with multiple females. Adult male Gorillas that stay in a group are generally the offspring of the dominant male and eventually will take over leadership. Female Gorillas become sexually mature at seven to eight years old, but do not start to breed until they are approximately ten years old. Male Gorillas mature later than females. Male Gorillas begin to breed around after fifteen years of age. The average for a female Gorilla to give birth

Gorillas are huge, hairy, terrestrial primates belonging to the genus Gorilla. They are primarily herbivorous mammals feeding on pith, leaves, and fruits, although there are certain sub-species such as eastern lowland gorillas that also eat insects and thus fall under the category of omnivores. Gorillas inhabit the forests of Central Africa and, after chimpanzees, are the closest relatives of humans. Sadly though, today there remain only about 700 gorillas in the African jungles and hence have

The researched showed that gorillas in the volcanic region of the Virunga Park in the eastern Democratic Replublic of the Congo, Africa, kill the babies because the resources and the place where they live influence this behavior among them. However, there are many extensive factors in the incident of infanticide among these gorillas. Report of gorillas killing the babies was analyzed inside the park, what the scientist discovered, mostly all the victims were in the lactation stage. In addition that, the culprits were gorillas that did not belong the clan were the killings happened. When lactating, baby gorillas are most vulnerable and very dependent, if it happens that the dominant male of the group where the babies belong is not present, is

The Mountain Gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei is one of two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla Gorilla beringei. They are found in two isolated population, firstly in the Virunga Volcanoes region which covers Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park , and secondly in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda (Robbins & Williamson , 2008)