Social Behavior of Hominids

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With the exploratory analysis of the existing primate species, it can be quite helpful in attempting to comprehend the possible behaviour of early hominids. The social behaviour of primates is discovered amongst the investigative research of primatology, which provides evidence that the fissure between humans and other primates are beginning to decrease (McGrew, 1998: 302). This tends to result in a change of mind concerning the human conditions and the re-identification of what makes us human. The making and the regular use of tools were once considered to be what separated humans from other primates, however, primates such as Chimpanzees and Orangutans have been found making and using tools as well which keeps us wondering. What makes us human? (McGrew, 1998:310). Following these and other similar discoveries, the main decisive factor changed to the possession of culture. It became what was thought to be what separated us from other primates however; it is becoming quite clear that other primates possess culture of their own. Verification that non-human primates do in fact have culture will be achieved through discussing the meaning of culture, how and why culture has changed over evolutionary time from non-primates, to non-human primates, to early hominids to early humans (Janson, et al.,2003:57), as well as the multiple components, such as symbolism, teaching, imitation, speech and “gesture demand brain-size mediated neurological capacities”, which include fine motor skills and the ability to construct variable, complex motor acts, concepts, and objects, that will help determine whether non-human primates possess symbolic culture (Gibson, 2002: 323).

Customs and traditions of Homo sapiens species are countless, unique and e...

... middle of paper ...

... 18, 2011

Sapolsky, Robert M.

2006 Culture in Animals: The Case of Non-Human Primate Culture of Low Aggression and High Affiliation

University of North Carolina Press, Electric Document, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3844414

Accessed March, 18, 2011

Tomasello, Michael

1999 The Human Adaptation for Culture

Annual Reviews, Electronic Document, http://www.jstor.org/stable/233404

Accessed March, 18, 2011

Works Cited

Whiten, Andrew, Horner, Victoria, Marshall-Pescini, Sarah

2003 Cultural Pantrhopology. In Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews vol. 12, no.2, pp. 92-105

Wiley Subscription Services Inc., a Wiley Company

Whiten, Andrew, Goodall, Jane, McGrew, and W.C.

2003 Cultures in Chimpanzees. In The Annual Ethics Reader, edited by Armstrong, Susan J., and Botzler, Richard J.

Routledge, New York, NY

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