The Importance Of Culture In Primates

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There has been an age long debate to whether or not primates have culture. This is based on the idea that primates may have certain behaviors that our taught rather than already being programmed in their minds biologically. Some would argue that a certain action that a primate does wouldn’t necessarily be something that primate was born knowing; but others would argue that it was something that was something they knew in their subconscious mind. Notable arguments that would be in favor of culture in primates would include their use of tools, how a primate eats, and how they interact; arguments against the theory of culture in primates would proclaim that a primate’s habits are determined biologically and not affected by outside sources. Within …show more content…

An example of primates having culture is their making and use of tools. On page 311 of the Annual Review of Anthropology within the section titled “Culture in Nonhuman Primates?” by W. C. McGrew stated that “Capuchin can do everything that chim- panzees can do, and more, with regard to making and using tools from wood, bone, bamboo, and metal” (McGrew 311). Such a task would be more of a skill that would need to be learned rather than something that is instinctive. This is true because tool making is more extraneous and being able to utilize outside sources in that manor would need to be taught. For instance: where does one find the material, what is the best way to assemble the tool, or how does one use the tool in the best way possible? These questions are too complex to be solved by instinct and could better be answered by trial and error of past generations of primates. McGrew then goes into detail on page 315 about how there have been several field studies where younger primates will observe older primates preforming certain tasks with tools. For example, chimpanzees use sticks to “fish” for insects and there is a factor of timing and how to eat the insects off the stick that take practice in order for it to be done

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