Primate Behavior

Primate Behavior

Through primatology , the study of primates , we can learn and understand the different ways how primates had adapted anatomically and behaviorally in the environment and how humans evolved from primates (Ember , Ember and Peregrine 51

The primates are divided into two (2 ) classifications : prosimians which includes lemurs indris , lorises and tarsiers and the anthropoids which includes new world monkeys and old world monkeys , includes apes and humans called hominoids sorted into lesser apes , great apes and humans called hominids (55

According to studies , humans , chimpanzees and gorillas are very

br similar in their proteins and DNA and because chimpanzees are more sociable and have adequate numbers , they were more studied than gorillas ' Certain important traits and behavior of chimpanzees were observed . First , chimpanzees were observed hunting and eating animals like small animals , young baboons , and bushbucks . Their hunting strategies were observed that they hunt during the day either by group or individually and then the food is shared in a group of around 15 which they call it a friendly social gathering (62-63 ) Chimpanzees were also observed to be particular in grooming , also like other primates , it is part of their social behavior and activities . More to that , as part of alloparenting and grooming , in one instance a mother was seen , examining and cleaning her son 's teeth using a twig and she remove her son 's loose tooth (Ember , Ember and Peregrine 59 and 66 Moreover , further research had observed that chimpanzees shared their food to their closely related individuals which could also be related to alloparenting (108

When it comes to other primate 's behaviors like cooperation , it was manifested through hunting large animals that required their cooperation , communication and unity in to catch large prey Chimpanzees also had been used to tool making and tool use , which it was learned and shared by group ' thus , showing cooperation in to learn (55 , 62 and 108

On the other hand , primates which are all quadrupeds animals that move in all four expect for humans , are also classified into arboreal and terrestrial . Arboreal primates , tree-living , are usually smaller than terrestrial primates . It was explained that it is because smaller animals are more appropriate to climb in the trees because they weigh lighter . Since that energy required to climb is proportion to weight , it will require more energy for larger primates to climb the tree . So larger primates were more efficient on the ground . When it comes to brain size , since that relative brain size is the ratio of brain size to body , therefore terrestrial primates have larger brain size than the arboreal ones (64 , 65

When it comes to sexuality Ember , Ember and Peregrine only mentioned that they were polygamous , polyandry , monogamous (58 ) but other researchers have long known that homosexuality is common among apes . It was also added that homosexuality is continuous with the survival of the species . Humans have created the myth that sexuality can be justified only by reproduction , which by definition limits it...