Essays on Primates

Primates constitute over two hundred species of all living things. These are considered to be the closest relatives to human beings, in the evolution hierarchy. They vary in size, their habitats and their geographical location, whereby they are distributed throughout different geographical locations and habitats like forests, woodlands, savannahs, and high-altitude grasslands. Primates have some distinct characteristics, which include short snout, nails instead of claws, hands and feet with five digits, a relatively large brain as well as an increased reliance on vision rather than scent (Onishi and Namakichi 9).
Because of their widespread distribution in places of habitat, Continue reading...

Abstract

With the passage of time, the perceptions regarding primate studies have changed drastically. The initial studies on primates were focused towards the structural similarities between human beings and apes. However, with time, the studies also focused on behavioral and biological similarities among these species. Cooperation is a common phenomenon in human beings and primates. However, human cooperation exceeds the level of cooperation in primates because of the variety of cooperative strategies used by them. Furthermore, the cooperation among human beings and primates also differ in terms of the cognitive skills possessed by them.

Introduction

This paper has discussed changes in Continue reading...

Introduction

The debate as to whether the male species has been the most influential on the primate social structure has been on the limelight of anthropological studies for many years. There have been critics who argue that the female species still remains influentially dominant over the other species. However, there are studies that reveal that the male specie is more influential. In this aspect, the dominance of the gender variables in the society context has been used to determine the dominance of the sexes in key social structures. From a historical perspective, the society has lived to Continue reading...

Background of the study

The vast lowland forests of central Africa host the western lowland gorilla, which is scientifically referred to as the ‘gorilla gorilla gorilla.’ This is the most widespread and common of the four distinct subspecies of gorillas. Accurate and reliable estimations of their numbers are so far not possible because these primates live in some of the most remote and densest parts of Africa’s rainforests (Berthelet & Chavaillon, 1993). Regardless the total population of these primates was approximated at 100000 individuals in 1980s and has been declining ever since then.
Golden lion tamarins are another group of the primate family. Continue reading...

Using Non-Human Primates for Medical Research

The emergence of various and unknown diseases paved the way for medical breakthroughs including the continuous research and development in finding the ultimate cure for the most severe medical cases. However, the success of medical research was obtained from perfecting formulas through several trials on non-human primates. The objective of medical researchers for using non-human primates is to test drug side effects and experiment on different formulas that will constitute the best results. Since humans are considered to have evolved from primate beginnings, medical researchers believe that the shared biological characteristics of Continue reading...

Detailed Outline

Introduction
This section shall provide a distinct presentation on what the whole paper is about
Introducing the 1st Specie
This section specifically provides of distinct presentation on the details about the first specie that has been discovered in Kenya
Introducing the 2nd Specie
This section provides a specific description of the second specie that has been discovered and how it could have a relative connection to all the environmental elements they relatively exist with.

Definition of social culture among primates

This section shows how the overall culture of primates relates to those that have been recently discovered in Kenya as noted in the details.

Details of Findings:

1st Continue reading...

Primates

The primates are perhaps the most instinctively surviving mammals on the planet Earth. Human beings are primates and the list of primates goes way back in time when, Homo sapiens like us, include familiar animals like chimpanzees, gorillas, and monkeys, in addition to a few lesser known lemurs like lorises, and galagos. Two primates from different suborders could be the Prosimii or the prosimians, as they are commonly referred to, and the Anthropoidea, to which we as humans belong. Ring-tailed and ruffed lemurs, found in Madagascar are prosimians, while orangutans, apes, and humans belong to the anthropoidea group and Continue reading...

It is shared with primates, uniquely human and genius homoAll shared have a form of communication; primates actually are the species that look like man for example chimpanzees and gorillas. They use symbols to communicate. The Japanese macaques had the ability to pass knowledge for example in communication, learning tricks for survival among others. 2. Fire.
It is used and shared with all hominines, Shared with Genus Homo and Uniquely Human. Primates have a flat face and four limbs and a given dental formulae in relation to the factor; fire, the used fire to get warm for example the Continue reading...

Introduction

Genetic and physical similarities demonstrate that modern human species that is, Homo sapiens has a close association to other primate species group called apes. Evidence has shown that humans and great apes of Africa that is, gorillas and chimpanzees including bonobos or pygmy chimpanzees share common ancestor, which lived sometime between 6 million and 8 million years ago. Bonobos are found in Central Africa. It is interesting to note that the two species vary morphologically. Bonobos are characterized by shorter upper limbs, less rugged builds, and longer lower limbs than the chimpanzees and sport a distinguishing coiffure (Lavenda and Continue reading...

Infant care and production in tamarins

Infant care and production in Tamarins: An Introduction
Parenting patterns vary extensively both amongst human and primates. Cooperative care is rather unusual in the primates, however; it is found mainly in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), the small monkeys. This report delves into infant care and production in tamarins, in a social system, explaining the methods they maintain their relationships in a cooperative care.

When offered an option for caretaking of mother or the father, infants generally prefer the father, who offer more care. Hence, in biparental and cooperative breeding groups, the infants do not create a major fondness to the Continue reading...

Introduction

A primate is any member that belongs to the group of apes, monkeys and humans. Primates are warm-blooded mammals that unlike most of the groups of living organisms such as reptiles, primates have maternal instincts, and they take care of their young ones from birth. Primates are not egg laying organisms instead; they undergo fertilization and the embryological development of the foetus. Primates share a very close relationship genetically and are even used to explain the theory of evolution. Scientists say that apes share 98 percent of the genetic print with humans and thus they are the closest living Continue reading...

Exam questions

Anthropology refers to the study of human society, human nature, and human past. Therefore, it is essentially a scholarly discipline, which aims to give a description of what it means to be a human. This discipline is holistic meaning that its primary goal is to study the human kind as a whole, comparative meaning that comparative methods are employed in the study of the human behavior structure and development, field based, as well as evolutionary.
Anthropology is traditionally divided into 4 fields that include cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology. It is worth noting that all these Continue reading...

The Los Angeles Zoo has a number of primate species. Background information indicates that there are a number of species of monkeys and apes in the zoo. The New World Monkeys are located in the South American section of the zoo and include the Black-handed spider monkey, the crested capuchin monkey, the black-howler monkey and the squirrel monkey. Of the four species of great apes, three that are exhibited at the Zoo include chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas. In the “Red Ape Rain Forest”, the orangutans are divided into a couple of groups. An in-depth observation shows that each group Continue reading...

Part I: Observation

This report aims to better understand the social organization and behavior of Propithecus coquereli. The species is more commonly referred to as Coquerel's sifaka and it is native to the island nation of Madagascar off the eastern coast of Mozambique. Like other primates, Coquerel’s sifaka is a species that adheres to an intricate, and hierarchical social structure. Between primates, however, more idiosyncratic behaviors exist that generalizations of a species offer little by way of understanding unique characteristics and social nuances. In this report, two primates named Lucy (female) and Ricky (male) are observed. Although their monikers suggest that Continue reading...

Introduction

An ape is a primate whose appearance resembles that human being. Apes have no tails and most of them lived in Africa and Eastern Asia. Of the great apes, the only existing ones are chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos and gorillas. On the other hand, hominids are primates who move/walk on two limbs. They are members of the great apes. However, this definition may not suggest that all hominids including the first ones walked on two limbs. (Juan, Ignacio and Mauricio, 2006). Many paleoanthropologists believe that hominids are the immediate ancestors of the modern human beings. In many cases, it is Continue reading...

Human beings (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) belong in the same order of primates and the Hominidae family. This is because they have common characteristics that lead them to be grouped together in this order.
A number of similar biological aspects make human and chimpanzees to be grouped together. Both chimpanzees and humans have highly flexible limbs that end up with five fingers. These limbs for both limbs and hind limbs enable this order of animals to perform various activities such as climbing trees and the use of tools. Human beings and chimpanzees have flexible shoulders and joints Continue reading...

Physical Anthropology is described as one of the branches of anthropology that specifically deals with the aspect of evolutionary biology, genetics,  physical variation, classification and human development .

1. PALEOANTHROPOLOGY - is one of the subjects under physical anthropology that focuses on the study of fossil records to unlock the secrets of the puzzle that is human evolution.

2. NEUROANTHROPOLOGY - is a subject in physical anthropology that talks about the evolutionary process and transformation of the brain and how it influences human evolutionary behavior. It’s also known as the link between anthropology and neuroscience that tackles the subject Continue reading...

A cladogram tree showing Anthropoidea, Catarrhini, Haplorrhini, Hominoidea, Primates, and Strepsirrhini.

Anthropoidea, Catarrhini, Haplorrhini, Hominoidea, Primata, and Strepsirrhini,. k
Question 1
In the scientific classification, humans and apes; chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are grouped in the same family “hominidae” while monkeys were earlier grouped in the family “Cebidae” but now in the family “Atelidae”. In accordance to scientific researches, human are said to be more closely related to chimpanzees than monkey; looking at their anatomy and genetics. Human evolution shows the evolutionary process that brought about the differences in appearance of the modern man and other hominids. Using genetics and anatomy, we can tell which of the two; monkeys and Continue reading...

The following is a layman’s version on the processes that produced the first intelligent, sentient creature, the human being. The paper will address the time through the forest- savannah transition in east Africa and through to the first hand axe and spear making, a period of approximately three million years ago. The paper will propose probable events that might have occurred during that time. The pre-human ancestors went from among the weakest and defenseless prey on the plains of African grassland to the voracious terror of the modern world, within an interval of approximately one million years. How Continue reading...

Introduction

The study explored the homological characteristics of 22 species. The organisms were human, pygmy chimpanzee, common chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, white-handed gibbon, macaque (Cercopithecine monkey), horse, bison, cat, dog, bird, bat, frog, rattlesnake, alligator, fish, whale, wolf, pig, bacteria, and cow. The species were categorized as mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, or amphibians. However, humans and apes were further classified as primates. Moreover, the research sought to determine whether the species share characteristics that link them to a common ancestor. The research hypothesis was that if the evolutionary path of the 22 organisms were traced, then a common ancestor would be Continue reading...

God has created all creatures. It is amazing to discover that each creature is unique in its own sense and does not resemble the other creature completely. The various creatures on earth, including plants and animals differ greatly from each other on the basis of their outer morphology and inner anatomy. Humans are considered the most intelligent creatures on earth and they utilize animals extensively for research and development of inventions that may benefit the mankind in the future.
It is estimated that nearly 26 million animals are used everyday for scientific and commercial testing in the USA . The Continue reading...

- Primate brains follow predictable developmental pattern
This Monash University research, originally published in the Journal of Neuroscience by Tristan Chaplin et al., is said to be a breakthrough in the understanding of the evolution of primate brains across all sizes of primate species. In an anatomical context, the research discusses how the disproportionate enlargement of the areas of the human brain necessary for advanced levels of the cognition can be identified as consistent across all sizes of primate species. The researchers found through the use of computer modelling and MRI imaging that those two brain regions – “the lateral Continue reading...

With reference to Biological studies, homology is the presence of shared pedigree between living organisms in terms of evolution. The homology might be in terms of genetical constitution, or physical constitution, to name a few. Here, I have described the evolutionary homology between various phyla supporting the description with a phylogenetic tree.

Genetic code is the combination of DNA and RNA sequences that constitute the amino acid sequences used in the synthesis of an organism's proteins. It is the biochemical basis of heredity and generally, protein coding amino acids is very similar in all eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The principle Continue reading...

In the studying how the human species evolved, a lot of astonishing discoveries, great public interest as well as a great level of controversy have always been involved. Since the early twentieth century the discovery of new hominid fossils has altered the widespread perceptions held concerning how our species evolved. Piltdown Man and Ramapithecus are examples of these new discoveries (Szpak, 2014). The objective of this discussion is to address Australopithecus with regard to migration and subsistence habits.
With its first appearance being in Africa about 4.2 million years ago and later diversifying into various forms, australopithecines is a Continue reading...

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by an RNA virus. It is a very aggressive virus usually resulting in death. The symptoms are sudden, including headache, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue and fever. In more than half of the cases, bleeding from mucous membranes and needle puncture sites occurs. There is no known treatment for the disease and thus, it is a disease of particular global concern (CDC, 2010).
Human cases of Ebola have been reported in several African countries including Sudan, Congo, Gabon, Uganda, and the Ivory Coast. The disease is spread readily through blood or Continue reading...

Gibbons, chimps, and other primates are not just considered evolutionary related to human beings, scientific analysis suggests that there are blood relationships between the two. The human blood types A, B, and O in human beings are approximated to have evolved about 20 million years ago, which is assumed to be as old as the human existence. This scientific research also reveals the existence of a common ancestry between these primates and human beings. According to scientific knowledge, blood types are broken down into two groups of positive and negative, which are referred to as the Rhesus factor (RH). Continue reading...

OBSERVATIONS

Since I entered into a formal institution, and we happen to study the evolution, I have always been left amazed and wondered on how living beings came to be. Because it was in my primary level, I always thought of it as just a mere story. I could hear that people were once using their four limbs for movement like the monkeys. I could also read that we evolved from the primate family which consists the likes of the chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, and we later came to become what we are today. My grandparents could tell me stories of Continue reading...

The word "homo,” the name of the biological genus to which human belongs is Latin for "human.” It was picked initially via Carolus Linnaeus in his grouping framework. The saying "human" is from the Latin humanus, the descriptive manifestation of homo. The Latin "homo" infers from the Indo-European root “dhghem,” or "earth.” Human advancement is the evolutionary procedure paving the way to the presence of modern people.
Human presented developmental capacities, which are innovative, complex, typical, and social in nature and make them unique from other surviving species. In any case, what precisely has advanced to evolve these unique Continue reading...

The history of human evolution has always been a heated topic for debate; many theories abound as to what factors led to the evolution of apes into man, using the concepts of trait adaptation, among others, to help explain why we became what we became. There are those who believe that the major contributing factor was the development of language, or the forming of groups with hierarchical structures. Others believe that the development of monogamy as a social concept is the most important factor leaving to the evolution of humanity. However, it is my concerted belief that the most Continue reading...

Applied behaviour analysis and animal behaviour

According to (Bekoff, 2013), behaviour analysis refers to a scientific approach that helps an individual to understand why animal and people do and behave the way they do. After studying behaviour analysis an individual develops the capacity to understand how both human beings as well as animal’s behaviours are affected by the various events that take place. This includes the event that are there in their physical and their social environments. Teacher’s researchers and parents make use of behaviour analysis to tell how the physical and social environment impacts on behaviour change.
The study of behaviour analysis Continue reading...

Question2

Isolating mechanisms is the reproductive features which inhibit species from fusing. They are mainly significant in the genetic species concept, whereby species of organisms are distinct by generative isolation, that is, an absence of gene mixture. They include:
- Premating isolating mechanisms – these are aspects that cause species to mate with their own kind (assortative mating), thus prevents the union of gametes to forma zygote. An example is a behavioral isolation technique where prospective mates meet, but select members of their own species.
- Post-mating isolating mechanisms –this involves issues regarding genomic mismatch, sterility hybrid or in-viability which facilitates Continue reading...

The article by Heyes (2012) makes significant discoveries on the cognitive abilities of humans as well as those of animals. In addition, the article provides an explanation of the similarities between the cognitive abilities of the animal as well as those of human beings. As a result, the article provides an explanation that assist understanding the minds of animals and their relation to that of human beings. Heyes uses a case study of the chimpanzees where she tries to explain the relationship between complex behavior and simple mindedness in the perspectives of associative blindness. The article provides an associative Continue reading...

Introduction

Evidence of aliens having an influence on earth is evident in the writings, artifacts, and paintings and cave drawings.
Body
- First contact with Aliens in 1941.
- Cases of individuals who came into contact with the aliens. Cases highlighted help to provide evidence of aliens and human contact
- Instances of how aliens have contributed to human civilization
- The ancient cave paintings are one of the major inventions believed to be from aliens
- Angel Hair associated with aliens used in the contemporary world to design aircrafts.
- The ancient aliens were thought to be involved in Continue reading...

Mark Twain once wrote, “I am not interested to know whether Vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn't. [] The pains which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity towards it” (Twain 26).
Most people find themselves in a dilemma when confronted with the subject of animal testing in research. Although many people support animal testing for the sake of basic research, and biomedical research, others believe that forcing animals to suffer distress, fear, and pain, regardless of the purpose or the outcome, is unethical. There is evidence that suggests that Continue reading...

Arguably, from the research findings, it is evident that the FACS approach is amenable to alteration for use with all other species of primates; this method allows one to compare and contrast the facial repertoires among many species with distinct characteristics. Developing FACS for chimpanzees has made it easy for us to understand how and why the human facial movements vary from that of the chimpanzees. The apparent difference can be deduced from the varying facial morphology, underlying musculature, and the interface between the two. From the general repertoire, nine commonly seen facial actions have successfully been described and Continue reading...

Dian Fossey was an American woman whose love for animals drove her in interest in zoology. Her study of Mountain Gorillas changed how we understand the connection between humans and other primates. Her conservation efforts brought attention to the plight of this endangered species that she so diligently studied. Due to her extensive research and hand on approach she became one of the most renowned women scientists of the twentieth century.

The Early Life of Dian Fossey

Dian was born in 1932 in San Francisco, California (Mowat, 1987). She had a relatively normal childhood, although her parents separated early in her life. As a young Continue reading...

Introduction

The white-headed capuchin is an animal that is usually active during the day and inhabits trees (Emmons, 1997). It, however, goes down to the ground frequently than other monkeys (Morris & Bruce, 2005). It locomotes primarily through walking on all four limbs. It resides in groups, or troops, of about 40 monkeys and its ratio of male to female adult sex, is 71 on average. With unusual exceptions, females pass their whole lives with their female colleagues. Males move to new social groups many times throughout their lifetimes, moving for the first time between the first 20 months and 11 Continue reading...

Introduction

Policy makers and the general public have been at pains to answer the questions they are confronted with about the intricacies of lesbians and gay men. Questions are abound ranging from whether they are mentally ill to whether the much publicized conversion therapies result to a change in orientation. Questions have also been asked about their stereotyped propensity to molest children. Such scathing thoughts and remarks are fed by stereotypic cultural undertones that many a times depict gay men and lesbians as criminals, immoral, sick and every description that falls short of what our society considers ‘normal’. The implicated Continue reading...

Psychological studies have been carried out to assess the ability of an individual to percept numerical values. Evidence shows that some numbers can only be available for adult perception however there are certain numerical concepts which could be observed by infants, adults and animal species. The article “Core systems of number” by L. Feigenson et al. (2004) reviews certain neuropsychological and behavioral findings that these perception abilities are based on two core systems of number representation which we will discuss further in detail.
As was put by Roger Bacon (c. 1219–1294) “The knowledge of mathematical things is almost Continue reading...

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome better known as AIDS is a viral disease. Research analysis indicates that, the disease is mainly caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The virus attacks the immune system and ensures that it weakens the site. After the attack, the infected person is made vulnerable to diseases and other infections. The origin of the disease is said to have come from viruses initially infecting African primates. The transmission of the virus to the species is what led to the outbreak of the disease in humans (Paul &Beatrice 2011). A single SIV (simian immune deficiency Continue reading...