Working title:
To Know Oneself Well: an ambiguous narrative of man’s perceived place in evolutionary hierarchy
French naturalist and anatomical model maker Dr. Louis Auzoux (1797-1880, France) dissected a gorilla at the amphitheatre of the Ecole de Médecine in Paris in 1864. There to witness this educational event were scholars, medical students and colleagues. The gorilla, a female, had been caught especially for Dr. Auzoux in Gabon and he would use this gorilla for modelling his papier-maché anatomical model of the Troglodytes gorilla, the subject of this essay's analysis.
A couple of years before Auzoux’s dissection Charles Darwin had published his book On the Origin of Species (1859) which had a great impact on how people viewed
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The figure, including the tree, measures 217 cm in height and 76 cm in width. The right leg is resting on a branch of a thin wooden tree, the right arm is pointing upwards, holding the top of the tree with its right hand. The left arm is hanging downwards parallel to the body while the left foot rests on a stone. The material used to create this gorilla, as well as the tree and stone, is papier-mâché. However, under the paper structure a real gorilla skeleton is supporting it all. The skull and teeth are visible. Without skin, the figure reveals the hidden anatomy of the gorilla’s body. The figure itself consists of ninety components that are detachable. These components together compose the internal biology of the gorilla. Reproductions of veins, bones and intestines are mostly hidden under the outer layer of papier-mâché muscles. A clear distinction between the left and right part can be seen. The right side of the gorilla shows the bare skeleton of the arm and leg as well as part of the ribcage while the left side is covered with papier-mâché muscle tissue. Holding together the different components is a system of metal hooks that lock into each other and that can easily be ‘unhooked’ to open up the internal world of the figure (fig.3). All components are numbered by way of round little papers with numbers on them. Numbering starts with the skull (nr.1) going downwards to the legs before disappearing in the invisible inwards of the model. Small hand symbols with pointed fingers decorate the components as well (fig.3). They point to the direction one has to follow to take apart the components; the order of the dissection. Tones of red and pink are dominant with the colour of bone shining through. The belly is voluminous and white. The nose is brown. The paint is flaky and somewhat faded; it gives the
There are contrasts in tool kits used by different groups of chimpanzees, which seem to be a result of the environment in which they live as well as information that is shared by the group. For example, in 1973 it was reported that chimpanzees in Gombe did not use hammer stones, but those of Cape Palmas did. We will explore the tool use of Chimpanzees from the wild, including Gombe, Tai National Forest, and the Congo Basin---and contrast those with Chimpanzees in captivity in locations of Zoo’s both in the United States and abroad.
I visited the Sacramento Zoo during the afternoon of April 21, 2017. The weather was wonderful, sunny, warm, and there was a slight breeze. It got a bit more breezy the longer I was there. Visiting the zoo to observe primates allowed me to become a little more aware of how primatologists study primates. Even though I’ve been to many different zoos several different times, I never realized how many primates were associated with the zoos, as well as the variety of primates in the zoos. The Sacramento Zoo has eight different primates, all in different classifications, superfamilies, or subfamilies. While observing the Chimpanzees, White-Handed Gibbon, Mongoose Lemur, White-Faced Saki, and the Wolf’s Guenon I could see the differences
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.
Trustworthiness is an important element in a relationship. It is the groundwork for dependability between two people, and from it, relationships grow and mature. When that trust is shattered, it creates a barrier between the two people. What defines a legal agreement with a business partner from a silly promise made to a child? In a child’s eyes, there is no distinction. A promise is a promise. In Toni Cade Bambara’s “Gorilla, My Love,” the evolving perspective of the distinction between an act of betrayal and the breaking of a juvenile pact is scrutinized through an incident between a child, Hazel, and her uncle, Hunca Bubba.
Fossey’s early interest in animals and her dream of becoming a veterinarian - led her to San Jose State College. While in college, she changed her important to job-related therapy; Although - her love for animals never died out. At the same time she was becoming more and more interested in Africa. In 1963 , on a 6-week sabbatical in Africa. She ran into DR.Louis Leakey. Who said that he urgently needed some research on the great apes.Fossey agreed to undertake a long-term field study of the mountain gorillas.
... the gorillas are taken away from their family and are living in captivity. It is still important to study primates in-depth, and a solution to the ethical issues may be to breed primates within the conservatory.
While in Milan, Da Vinci spent a considerable amount of time on a number of dissections of the horse in preparation for a statue. While the bulk of the drawings on the anatomy of the horse are of the surface anatomy, and drawn by Leonardo in the guise of the artist, there are nevertheless some detailed ones illustrating the muscles of the horse's thigh compared to the corresponding muscles of man, suggesting that ...
In Picasso’s "Acrobat’s Family with a Monkey", the stepladder like orientation of characters demonstrates an evolutionary procession.
Charles Darwin published his On Origin of Species in 1859. By 1870, Darwin’s theory of evolution was widely accepted as fact (van Wyhe, n.d.). This was no easy feat, Darwin was able to provide ample evidence from his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, Darwin successfully implanted an idea. That idea took root and expanded into a profound science. The spread of ideas is at the very heart of civilization. Some ideas survive and thrive, while others wither and die on the vine. It was Richard Dawkins who pioneered the science behind the spread of ideas, and it is to him that those who count on the spread of their ideas, such as Jonathan Kozol, pay deference.
Leonardo DiVinci's figure drawings and anatomical sketches interest me. His exploration of ideas and exhausting research inspired my practice. As I have continued with my own exploration, I have expanded my research to include ideas from philosophy and science as well as art.
Primates are considered to be one of the most interesting mammals on earth to study due to their numerous similarities with humans and their complexities in life. Today we look at primates as our closest relatives, meaning that observations and research will not only give us information about non-human primates, but human primates as well. There were many primates to choose from, though I decided to observe two types of primates, the Western Lowland Gorilla, and the Tufted Capuchin Monkey. Both species of primates were observed at the San Diego Zoo. With my research, I will collect data from my observations, give background information from credible sources, and explain the interactions I encountered while observing the two different primates. Before attempting to understand ourselves and other species as primates, it is important to understand that scientific research is the basis for determining our origins as primates, understanding certain species of primates, and why we consider primates to be our closest ancestor.
Much of the debate over whether species should be separated into different groups arises from the morphological differences between individuals of the same species. For example, Australopithecus Afarensis fossils express high sexual dimorphism, which proposes two individual species (Reno et al., 2003). While Australopithecus Africanus, in comparison, shows more realistic size ratios between males and females suggesting one species (Lockwood, 1999). A study performed by Richmond and Jungers looked at the size variation in Australopithecus Afarensis compared to living hominoids to answer the following question: whether it is possible to see such high differences in size between genders of the same species or whether it makes more sense to divide the species into two (1995). In this study, a conclusion of two separate species for the Australopithecus Afarensis was made based on comparisons of fossils such as the humorous and femur with modern gorillas (Richmond & Jungers, 1995). This study compared the size of postcranial fossils. While most of the research has focused on making interpretations based on only cranial fossils, research by Harmon agrees that by looking at postcranial evidence we can gain better insight into the real variations between and within species (2009). Most research assumes high dimorphism wi...
The gorilla, named Ishmael, can communicate telepathically. Communicating with him in this fashion, the narrator learns Ishmael’s background - in which the gorilla was stolen from the wild and displayed in a menagerie, then rescued by a Holocaust survivor who taught him his name and how to learn. Impressed, the narrator decides to accept his teachings, returning to Ishmael's office throughout the story.
The physical characteristics of a gorilla are, the male may be from a height of 5.5 ft and a weight of about 400 lbs. The female can be as tall as 5 ft. and weight almost about half the weight of the male. Their skull is pretty much similar to ours, but their bones are thicker. The gorillas spin...
Jane Goodall’s books, Through a Window, In the Shadow of Man, and The Chimpanzees of Gombe, recount her many years as an observer of chimpanzees and other species of monkeys. In Through a Window, she gives her account of thirty years with chimpanzees in the village of Gombe, off of Lake Tanganyika. During those thirty years with her son and husband, she observed and researched the chimpanzees with the help of other researchers. This book is a collection of the observations and data, in addition to the emotions she felt during this era. The theme of Through a Window is that chimpanzees have very human characteristics and feelings, and she proves this through her descriptions of love, war, power, and life in general.