Jane Goodall Among the Wild Chimpanzees Jane Goodall is a woman who has and still does work with chimpanzees in Tanznia, South Africa. The first time she went to Tanzania was in July 14, 1960 when she was just 26 years old. Because of her research and studies of many different chimpanzees, we as humans will be able to understand ourselves and other primates better. At first, Jane just sat on a peak at the top of a mountain, so that she could observe the chimps. The chimpanzees would keep a safe distance away so they were able to watch Jane and make sure that she wasn’t going to hurt them in any way. After eighteen months, Jane had finally been accepted into the animals’ group – she was finally considered to be one of them. Chimpanzees are a lot like humans in their behaviours. They are extremely smart since they are able to make and use tools and weapons. The female mothers are very affectionate and protective over the young and the rest of their family. The young chimps are also very dependant on their mother for necessities such as food, shelter and warmth. Many people believe that we originated from apes and monkey. We can now possibly learn many things from studying and observing chimpanzees and monkeys. In the film, Jane set out a pile of bananas so she would be able to observe the chimp’s behaviours. She realized that the stronger, more dominant males were the ones that took most of the bananas, while the smaller, weaker ones, (primarily the females and babies) stayed back. In our society, we may not fight over a pile of bananas, however, we may fight over a pile of money. We would probably not be polite and take only 30 dollars and save some for everyone else. We would be greedy and try to take all the money. This same type of situation applies to the chimpanzees. Much like humans, chimps have a very good acceptance of death. They may not completely understand or accept another one dying, but they seem to know what is happening. In the video, one chimpanzee’s mother had died, so in turn he became extremely depressed and upset over the loss of his mother and eventually died also. Another example is when a baby died in the film because of a disease that took over the land, the mother still carried her babies body on her back for a while.
Dr. Goodall is a well-known British primatologist who has discovered a substantial amount about primates in her many years of research. She has written numerous books, including one that we will be going into depth about called, “Through a Window.” Her book contains personal experiences, research findings, and even pictures to help the readers visualize her scientific breaking moments from her thirty years with the chimpanzees of Gombe. She states that there is are minor differences, and several similarities between humans and the chimpanzees. We will discuss these differences and similarities through their social behavior, intellectual ability, and emotions. To conclude, examine Goodall’s research to adopt what her findings can tell us about our early ancestors, and whether or not her study coincided to the steps of scientific methodology.
...ur is dependent upon its mother for only a few months after its birth, while an ape is dependent for four or five years. A chimpanzee infant cannot survive if its mother dies before it reaches the age of 4 at the very least.” I understood this when I witnessed the close bond between Ramona and her newborn. Seeing their affinity for each other reminded me that humans are also very well attached to young ones who are new to this world. This makes sense because after all, chimpanzees are our closest living relatives!
This article, titled Common Ground, written by Barbara Smuts, points out the main differences between humans and apes, such as our upright stance, large brains, and capacity for spoken language and abstract reasoning. However, the main point of this article is to emphasize the many similarities that apes share with us. Smuts goes into great detail about how human social and emotional tendencies are very reflective in the family of apes.
Chimpanzees make tools and use them to procure foods and for social exhibitions; they have refined hunting tactics requiring collaboration, influence and rank; they are status cognizant, calculating and capable of trickery; they can learn to use symbols and understand facets of human language including some interpersonal composition, concepts of number and numerical sequence and they are proficient in spontaneous preparation for a future state or event.
While there are noticeable by differences in social conduct between these two primates, I argue that they are extra of similar behaviors than most books have suggested. This book portrays several reasons that modern views of bonobo and chimpanzee cultures may not harmonize well with ground data. Bonobos are derived since their behavior has been defined lately than that of chimpanzees, and the likelihood that explanations of bonobo-chimpanzee differences are echoes of human male-female alterations.
Stanford opens up his book with his prologue: “Save the Apes!” which serves as a thesis to his entire argument. He shows readers how similar we are to the apes in terms of social and physical behavior. With that, readers go onto a journey with the apes. In the first chapter, “Heart of Darkness,” readers are introduced to the four siblings – the chimpanzees, the Gorilla, the Bonobo, and the Orangutan.
Primates housed in organizations like zoos and laboratories have developed catastrophic behavior; due to the lack of their natural habitat and the lose of freedom to pursue their own lives. Chimpanzees have directed themself to attempt abnormal and often revolting behavior. During their life in captivity they exibit biting themselves, drinking urine, eating feces, pating genitals, rocking, plucking hair, and fumpling niples (Birkett and Newton-Fisher). Another factor that gives chimpanzees
Koko has helped us understand that humans and gorillas are really not that different. Like us they have forward facing eyes, ears on the sides of their heads, four fingers and a thumb on each hand. They are just like us inside too. Gorillas are smart. They think and have feelings. Most of the time, they are happy and playful, but sometimes they can feel sad or afraid. Koko laughs when she’s tickled and cries out when she’s sad. Koko even knows when she is being naughty.
In primates such as chimpanzees it is imperative to look at their culture to understand their intelligence. Culture in this circumstance means a specific set of behaviors obtained through learning in a population/species. Chimpanzee’s intelligence is quite unique how they interact with their environment and use it to their benefit just like humans. They have the ability to overcome the obstacles of everyday life through learning and the ability to use tools to create a better quality of life. The complexity of their intellect is different from any other animal ever seen. A significant part of chimpanzee intelligence that sets them apart from other primates and puts them closer to humans is the way they exhibit social learning within their culture and interactions within their environment.
Our earliest ancestors are primates. They are our closest relatives which is why we can see our behavior’s and practices in them. If we observe them we can get a better understanding of them and us, human beings. But unfortunately we all don’t get the chance to see a Primate right in our backdoor. So the best thing I could do for my observation was to visit them at the zoo.
There are many similarities in chimpanzee and human behaviour--the affectionate, supportive and enduring bonds between family members, the long period of childhood dependency, the importance of learning, non-verbal communication patterns, tool-using and tool-making, cooperation in hunting, sophisticated social manipulations, aggressive territoriality, and a variety of helping b...
Chimpanzees are part of the non-human primate group. Though we share a common ancestor, evolution has pushed us in different directions. However this common ancestor causes humans to be curious about these creatures. As discussed in Jane Goodall’s video Among the Wild Chimpanzees we were once considered to be human because of our use of tools but once we observed these non-human primates using tools, this perception was changed forever. The question now at hand is if having the chimpanzees that we study in captivity makes a difference between studying wild chimps. These interesting creatures can be found naturally in the rainforests of Africa.
Chimpanzees (Figure 1) are the closest living relatives to us, and they share 99 percent of our DNA (1). Chimpanzees have distinct group territoriality. Male chimpanzees “patrol” near the boundary between the two ranges, at that time they move very carefully and quietly, and they can cease to listen and observe the range of their neighbors. Patrolling individuals are likely to face cruel and violent attacks, injuries, and even deaths. Intense excitement and aggressive display can occur if the two parties of two communities encounter each other. Usually, the larger group holds its ground, and interaction between different chimpanzees communities may also lead to gang attack. Expanding the community range is necessary to their social organizations, the males cooperation can defend the territory and increase the reproductive rates of the resident females by excluding female and male competitors. Body contact is common in their social life such as grooming (1). Usually, chimpanzees groom each other as a way to show harmony and solidarity in their society (Figure 2). Grooming each other demonstrates the deep bonds and close relationship between them. In addition, they can even hug, hold hands, touch, kiss each other as a way of emotional expression (2).
Chimpanzees portray their emotions through a number of facial expressions and mannerisms. Just like humans, they undergo mood swings, jealous rages, and laughter. For instance, Goodall observed during her research that a male gorilla “would threaten [me] with an upward and backward movement jerk of his head…” Some of their emotions are easy to read, while at other times we have to look at multiple places on their faces to understand their feelings. A chimpanzee also uses its facial expressions and sounds to communicate with each other, such as hoots and yells.
In “A Report from an Academy,” a fiction text, Franz Kafka states that we, human beings, are closer to chimps than we think we are. It