Images of primates by Jordi Sabater Pi (1922-2009).
For more images see:
Bonobos Predisposed to Show Sensitivity to Others
Jan. 30, 2013 — Comforting a friend or relative in distress may be a more hard-wired behavior than previously thought, according to a new study of bonobos, which are great apes known for their empathy and close relation to humans and chimpanzees. This finding provides key evolutionary insight into how critical social skills may develop in humans.
Family of bonobos caring for each other. (Credit: © itsallgood / Fotolia)
(via alphacaeli)
A gorilla named Kidogo balances on a rope at the zoo in Krefeld, Germany
Picture: EPA/Magnus Neuhaus (via Animal pictures of the week: 4 January 2013 - Telegraph)
This needs to be meme-ified
The anatomy of the face of an Orangutan
From Untersuchungen über die Gesichtsmuskulatur der Primaten (Studies on the facial muscles of Primates)
(via theolduvaigorge)
A gorilla, and a human baby reacting to the coldness of the stethoscope exactly the same way.
ok, this is pretty cute.
apps for apes: orang-utans want ipads for christmas.
So far about a dozen zoos have expressed interest in joining Apps for Apes. But meeting this demand is proving a challenge. Most zoos operate on shoestring budgets and Zimmerman has struggled to find funding. “We’re hoping Apple takes notice,” he says. Should a backer step in, Zimmerman will be able to put his most ambitious plan into effect. With iPads distributed, he hopes to use Skype or Apple’s networking software to set up video calls connecting orang-utans with friends - simian or human - no matter how far away. Research by Suzanne MacDonald from York University in Toronto, Canada, has shown that orang-utans can differentiate themselves from gorillas and other primates; whether they would connect a screen image with an actual individual is an interesting question, she says. If they can, play dates might prove useful for letting females view prospective mates. Zimmerman would also like to offer iPads to orang-utan rehabilitation centres in Indonesia. There, young orang-utans are taught about the dangers they will face once returned to the wild. Current training is crude - for instance orang-utans are shown rubber snakes while loud, unpleasant noise is played. With iPads this training could be expanded and automated. For Khan, though, the project is already reaping rewards. “I’m thrilled when I see kids’ mouths drop open and they say, ‘Hey Mom, I have that same app at home.’ It’s like opening a window, and letting them see how intelligent these animals are.”
posted in new scientist
Primate Win: Bonobos Make Most Noise When Mating With High Ranking Partners
The new study by researchers at the University of St Andrews suggests that females produce copulation calls as a way of showing off high powered relationships during sexual interactions. The psychologists set out to study vocal communication in apes, in particular investigating the social use…
created by dukelixon
stop using chimps as guinea pigs.
Today is the start of a two-day public hearing convened by the Institute of Medicine, which is examining whether there is still a need for invasive chimpanzee research. Meanwhile, nine countries, as well as the European Union, already forbid or restrict invasive research on great apes. Americans have to decide if the benefits to humans of research using chimpanzees outweigh the ethical, financial and scientific costs.
read the full op-ed posted in the new york times
A talented chimpanzee called Panzee can recognise distorted and incomplete words spoken by a computer, scientists have discovered.
That suggests that apes may be more capable of perceiving spoken sounds than previously thought, and that the common ancestor of humans and chimps may also have had this ability.
It also refutes the idea that humans have brains uniquely adapted to process speech, say the scientists who have published their findings in the journal Current Biology.
posted in the bbc
monday.
chimpanzees’ contagious yawning evidence of empathy, not just sleepiness, study shows.
“The idea is that yawns are contagious for the same reason that smiles, frowns and other facial expressions are contagious,” they write. “Our results support the idea that contagious yawning can be used as a measure of empathy, because the biases we observed were similar to empathy biases previously seen in humans.”
“The authors say that contagious yawning could be a window into social and emotional connections between individuals, and suggest that insight into barriers to chimpanzee empathy may help break down those barriers for humans.”
posted in science daily
About This Video
Bonobos share 98.7% of our DNA. Physically, they resemble chimpanzees. But something remarkable sets them apart from their primate cousins, making them an altogether different animal. Bonobos live in almost complete absence of violence; work cooperatively toward shared goals; foster a society that values equality; and engage in prolific casual sex. Could these gentle, promiscuous creatures hold the key to a world without war? Vanessa Woods, author of Bonobo Handshake, discusses what we might learn from our evolutionary relatives with anthropologist Brian Hare and NPR RadioLab’s Jad Abumrad.
posted in world science festival
i blog about anthropology, with a few personal opinions and anecdotes thrown in. i try not to make posts about subjects that are already trending on tumblr. i make an effort to share information that may be of interest but has been missed by the radar. dig my archives like an archaeologist with a new trowel. i do this because i have anthropological super powers bestowed upon me by the gods of academia. none of which are that powerful, aside from the mind bullets.
