Vernon Reynolds
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198515463
- eISBN:
- 9780191705656
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515463.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
Chimpanzees have never been more threatened with extinction than they are today. This book focuses on one chimpanzee group, the Sonso community, living in a tropical rain forest, the Budongo Forest ...
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Chimpanzees have never been more threatened with extinction than they are today. This book focuses on one chimpanzee group, the Sonso community, living in a tropical rain forest, the Budongo Forest in western Uganda. The book builds up a detailed picture of the forest environment of these apes, their social and behavioural adaptations, and the range of threats they face at the present time. The facts presented in the book summarize the author’s own work and that of the many students and colleagues who have worked with the Budongo Forest Project, which the author founded, over the years from 1990 to the present day. Comparisons are made with other chimpanzee field studies. A picture is built up to show the Sonso community living in a complex environment to which it has adapted well. The diet, culture, social behaviour, and social organization of the chimpanzees are described in detail. Focus then shifts to the various dangers they face in the modern context of increasing pressure from local hunters who put snares in the forest, and from a local agribusiness which threatens to engulf the forest. A careful appraisal of the future for these animals is made, ending with a note of hope for their survival if the national organizations that exist to protect them can become more effective.Less
Chimpanzees have never been more threatened with extinction than they are today. This book focuses on one chimpanzee group, the Sonso community, living in a tropical rain forest, the Budongo Forest in western Uganda. The book builds up a detailed picture of the forest environment of these apes, their social and behavioural adaptations, and the range of threats they face at the present time. The facts presented in the book summarize the author’s own work and that of the many students and colleagues who have worked with the Budongo Forest Project, which the author founded, over the years from 1990 to the present day. Comparisons are made with other chimpanzee field studies. A picture is built up to show the Sonso community living in a complex environment to which it has adapted well. The diet, culture, social behaviour, and social organization of the chimpanzees are described in detail. Focus then shifts to the various dangers they face in the modern context of increasing pressure from local hunters who put snares in the forest, and from a local agribusiness which threatens to engulf the forest. A careful appraisal of the future for these animals is made, ending with a note of hope for their survival if the national organizations that exist to protect them can become more effective.
Michael L. Arnold
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199539581
- eISBN:
- 9780191716225
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199539581.003.0003
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter discusses evidence for reticulation evolution among the ancestors of the network that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans.
This chapter discusses evidence for reticulation evolution among the ancestors of the network that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans.
Robert Layton and Sean O'Hara
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264522
- eISBN:
- 9780191734724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264522.003.0005
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
This chapter compares the social behaviour of human hunter-gatherers with that of the better-studied chimpanzee species, Pan troglodytes, in an attempt to pinpoint the unique features of human social ...
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This chapter compares the social behaviour of human hunter-gatherers with that of the better-studied chimpanzee species, Pan troglodytes, in an attempt to pinpoint the unique features of human social evolution. Although hunter-gatherers and chimpanzees living in central Africa have similar body weights, humans live at much lower population densities due to their greater dependence on predation. Human foraging parties have longer duration than those of chimpanzees, lasting hours rather than minutes, and a higher level of mutual dependence, through the division of labour between men (hunting) and women (gathering); which is in turn related to pair-bonding, and meat sharing to reduce the risk of individual hunters' failure on any particular day. The band appears to be a uniquely human social unit that resolves the tension between greater dispersion and greater interdependence.Less
This chapter compares the social behaviour of human hunter-gatherers with that of the better-studied chimpanzee species, Pan troglodytes, in an attempt to pinpoint the unique features of human social evolution. Although hunter-gatherers and chimpanzees living in central Africa have similar body weights, humans live at much lower population densities due to their greater dependence on predation. Human foraging parties have longer duration than those of chimpanzees, lasting hours rather than minutes, and a higher level of mutual dependence, through the division of labour between men (hunting) and women (gathering); which is in turn related to pair-bonding, and meat sharing to reduce the risk of individual hunters' failure on any particular day. The band appears to be a uniquely human social unit that resolves the tension between greater dispersion and greater interdependence.
STEVEN MITHEN
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264195
- eISBN:
- 9780191734540
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264195.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
The modern human is a product of six million years of evolution wherein it is assumed that the ancestor of man resembles that of a chimpanzee. This assumption is based on the similarities of the ...
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The modern human is a product of six million years of evolution wherein it is assumed that the ancestor of man resembles that of a chimpanzee. This assumption is based on the similarities of the ape-like brain size and post-cranial characteristics of the earliest hominid species to chimpanzees. Whilst it is unclear whether chimpanzees share the same foresight and contemplation of alternatives as with humans, it is nevertheless clear that chimpanzees lack creative imagination — an aspect of modern human imagination that sets humanity apart from its hominid ancestors. Creative imagination pertains to the ability to combine different forms of knowledge and ways of thinking to form creative and novel ideas. This chapter discusses seven critical steps in the evolution of the human imagination. These steps provide a clear picture of the gradual emergence of creative imagination in humans from their primitive origins as Homo sapiens some 200,000 years ago. This chronological evolution of the imaginative mind of humans involves both biological and cultural change that began soon after the divergence of the two lineages that led to modern humans and African apes.Less
The modern human is a product of six million years of evolution wherein it is assumed that the ancestor of man resembles that of a chimpanzee. This assumption is based on the similarities of the ape-like brain size and post-cranial characteristics of the earliest hominid species to chimpanzees. Whilst it is unclear whether chimpanzees share the same foresight and contemplation of alternatives as with humans, it is nevertheless clear that chimpanzees lack creative imagination — an aspect of modern human imagination that sets humanity apart from its hominid ancestors. Creative imagination pertains to the ability to combine different forms of knowledge and ways of thinking to form creative and novel ideas. This chapter discusses seven critical steps in the evolution of the human imagination. These steps provide a clear picture of the gradual emergence of creative imagination in humans from their primitive origins as Homo sapiens some 200,000 years ago. This chronological evolution of the imaginative mind of humans involves both biological and cultural change that began soon after the divergence of the two lineages that led to modern humans and African apes.
Simone Pika and John C. Mitani
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199545872
- eISBN:
- 9780191720369
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199545872.003.0009
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
This chapter presents observations that suggest wild chimpanzees use a gesture, the directed scratch, in a referential fashion. Directed scratches share two crucial components with homesign systems. ...
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This chapter presents observations that suggest wild chimpanzees use a gesture, the directed scratch, in a referential fashion. Directed scratches share two crucial components with homesign systems. They involve some form of reference and may specify a distinct action, therefore qualifying as characterizing signs. Although homesign systems go a step beyond, by exhibiting simple grammatical structure and recursion, directed scratches may constitute the first step toward symbolic gestures. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that gestures used by our closest living relatives might have been the crucial modality within which the evolutionary precursors of symbolic communication evolved. Additional comparative research investigating the factors triggering the development of referential gestures will be required to resolve what is unique to humans and what constitutes ‘fossil’ forms of human language or language abilities.Less
This chapter presents observations that suggest wild chimpanzees use a gesture, the directed scratch, in a referential fashion. Directed scratches share two crucial components with homesign systems. They involve some form of reference and may specify a distinct action, therefore qualifying as characterizing signs. Although homesign systems go a step beyond, by exhibiting simple grammatical structure and recursion, directed scratches may constitute the first step toward symbolic gestures. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that gestures used by our closest living relatives might have been the crucial modality within which the evolutionary precursors of symbolic communication evolved. Additional comparative research investigating the factors triggering the development of referential gestures will be required to resolve what is unique to humans and what constitutes ‘fossil’ forms of human language or language abilities.
Norman A. Johnson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195306750
- eISBN:
- 9780199790203
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195306750.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Some six million years ago, two branches of the evolutionary tree diverged: one that led to chimpanzees and bonobos, and one that led to us. Extraordinary advances in our ability to obtain and ...
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Some six million years ago, two branches of the evolutionary tree diverged: one that led to chimpanzees and bonobos, and one that led to us. Extraordinary advances in our ability to obtain and process DNA sequence information permits scientists to address fundamental questions about the evolutionary histories of varied species, including our own. Ascertaining the sequence of the genome — the complete complement of DNA information — from both humans and chimpanzees allows scientists to address such questions as: which genes were subjected to natural selection along our evolutionary branch? Are these the genetic changes that made us human? The book addresses these and other questions about human evolutionary history, including our domestication of other animals and of plants. It also explores how researchers use the tools of molecular genetics and population genetics theory to unravel the secrets of the natural histories of genes and genomes. Much like detectives looking to ascertain the circumstances behind a crime, these scientists can develop and test inferences about the nature of the natural selection and other evolutionary pressures that have shaped the organisms that harbor these genes.Less
Some six million years ago, two branches of the evolutionary tree diverged: one that led to chimpanzees and bonobos, and one that led to us. Extraordinary advances in our ability to obtain and process DNA sequence information permits scientists to address fundamental questions about the evolutionary histories of varied species, including our own. Ascertaining the sequence of the genome — the complete complement of DNA information — from both humans and chimpanzees allows scientists to address such questions as: which genes were subjected to natural selection along our evolutionary branch? Are these the genetic changes that made us human? The book addresses these and other questions about human evolutionary history, including our domestication of other animals and of plants. It also explores how researchers use the tools of molecular genetics and population genetics theory to unravel the secrets of the natural histories of genes and genomes. Much like detectives looking to ascertain the circumstances behind a crime, these scientists can develop and test inferences about the nature of the natural selection and other evolutionary pressures that have shaped the organisms that harbor these genes.
Norman A. Johnson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195306750
- eISBN:
- 9780199790203
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195306750.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Humans differ from chimpanzees and other apes with respect to our large brains and our abilities to use language, among other differences. This chapter discusses several candidate genes involved in ...
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Humans differ from chimpanzees and other apes with respect to our large brains and our abilities to use language, among other differences. This chapter discusses several candidate genes involved in brain size and linguistic ability (e.g., FOXP2) upon which natural selection appears to have acted in the human lineage. The complete genome sequences of humans, chimpanzees, and mouse (an outgroup) allow evolutionary geneticists to determine what genetic changes have occurred along the lineage that led to us. The McDonald-Kreitman tests and other tests to detect positive selection (Chapter 4) allow for the determination of which changes have been involved in adaptive evolution.Less
Humans differ from chimpanzees and other apes with respect to our large brains and our abilities to use language, among other differences. This chapter discusses several candidate genes involved in brain size and linguistic ability (e.g., FOXP2) upon which natural selection appears to have acted in the human lineage. The complete genome sequences of humans, chimpanzees, and mouse (an outgroup) allow evolutionary geneticists to determine what genetic changes have occurred along the lineage that led to us. The McDonald-Kreitman tests and other tests to detect positive selection (Chapter 4) allow for the determination of which changes have been involved in adaptive evolution.
David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195163483
- eISBN:
- 9780199867523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195163483.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter discusses current knowledge about the linguistic or language-like behaviour of modern great apes, especially chimpanzees (including bonobos) and gorillas. Evidence supports the idea that ...
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This chapter discusses current knowledge about the linguistic or language-like behaviour of modern great apes, especially chimpanzees (including bonobos) and gorillas. Evidence supports the idea that gesture-based language might have preceded speech in human phylogeny: (1) paleontological evidence for human anatomical evolution; (2) primatological evidence concerning the behaviour of the closest living relatives of human beings; and (3) neurological evidence concerning the organization of the substrates for linguistic behaviour in the brain.Less
This chapter discusses current knowledge about the linguistic or language-like behaviour of modern great apes, especially chimpanzees (including bonobos) and gorillas. Evidence supports the idea that gesture-based language might have preceded speech in human phylogeny: (1) paleontological evidence for human anatomical evolution; (2) primatological evidence concerning the behaviour of the closest living relatives of human beings; and (3) neurological evidence concerning the organization of the substrates for linguistic behaviour in the brain.
Julian C. Knight
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199227693
- eISBN:
- 9780191711015
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199227693.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
Genetic diversity observed in human populations provides unique insights into the selective pressures which have shaped our recent evolutionary past. Evidence to support this view is described in ...
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Genetic diversity observed in human populations provides unique insights into the selective pressures which have shaped our recent evolutionary past. Evidence to support this view is described in this chapter including concepts of genetic hitchhiking and selective sweeps, together with signatures of selection found from analysis of genetic variation. Insights gained from sequencing the chimpanzee and rhesus macaque genomes into human genetic diversity and selection is described. Evidence for selection from genetic studies of lactase persistence is reviewed for European, African, and Middle Eastern populations. The complex genetics of skin pigmentation is discussed, including the role of model organisms in identification of a human gene (SLC24A5) within which nucleotide diversity plays a major role in determining the light skinned pigmentation phenotype observed among Europeans. The chapter concludes with discussion of genome wide analyses using high density SNP panels in which many new loci showing evidence of selection are being identified.Less
Genetic diversity observed in human populations provides unique insights into the selective pressures which have shaped our recent evolutionary past. Evidence to support this view is described in this chapter including concepts of genetic hitchhiking and selective sweeps, together with signatures of selection found from analysis of genetic variation. Insights gained from sequencing the chimpanzee and rhesus macaque genomes into human genetic diversity and selection is described. Evidence for selection from genetic studies of lactase persistence is reviewed for European, African, and Middle Eastern populations. The complex genetics of skin pigmentation is discussed, including the role of model organisms in identification of a human gene (SLC24A5) within which nucleotide diversity plays a major role in determining the light skinned pigmentation phenotype observed among Europeans. The chapter concludes with discussion of genome wide analyses using high density SNP panels in which many new loci showing evidence of selection are being identified.
William D. Hopkins
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195326598
- eISBN:
- 9780199864904
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326598.003.0029
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology, Evolutionary Psychology
This chapter reviews behavioral and neurobiological data on tool use in primates. It shows that great apes, in particular chimpanzees, excel at tool use—especially generalizing principles to new ...
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This chapter reviews behavioral and neurobiological data on tool use in primates. It shows that great apes, in particular chimpanzees, excel at tool use—especially generalizing principles to new tool-using tasks and contexts. However, there is limited evidence that monkeys, even highly manual species such as capuchins, do so as readily. It is argued that this behavior is strongly associated with neuroanatomical changes that include the expansion of the cerebellum and interhemispheric connectivity.Less
This chapter reviews behavioral and neurobiological data on tool use in primates. It shows that great apes, in particular chimpanzees, excel at tool use—especially generalizing principles to new tool-using tasks and contexts. However, there is limited evidence that monkeys, even highly manual species such as capuchins, do so as readily. It is argued that this behavior is strongly associated with neuroanatomical changes that include the expansion of the cerebellum and interhemispheric connectivity.
Xun Gu
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199213269
- eISBN:
- 9780191594762
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199213269.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Biomathematics / Statistics and Data Analysis / Complexity Studies
Understanding the underlying regulatory mechanism is a fundamental step to exploring the emergence of genome complexity. An important issue is the role of tissue-specific factors in genomic ...
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Understanding the underlying regulatory mechanism is a fundamental step to exploring the emergence of genome complexity. An important issue is the role of tissue-specific factors in genomic evolution. Several studies have suggested that tissue-specific constraints may generate among tissue variation of expression divergence between humans and chimpanzees, between humans and mice, or between fruitflies. Duret and Mouchiroud showed that the rate of protein divergence was negatively associated with the tissue broadness of gene expression. This chapter first discusses the tissue-driven hypothesis, based on an explicit evolutionary model for providing testable predictions. This theory claims that stabilizing selections for both expression and sequence divergences may be affected simultaneously by common tissue factors. It then addresses an interesting problem about the expression evolution in the human brain since the separate development of humans and chimpanzees.Less
Understanding the underlying regulatory mechanism is a fundamental step to exploring the emergence of genome complexity. An important issue is the role of tissue-specific factors in genomic evolution. Several studies have suggested that tissue-specific constraints may generate among tissue variation of expression divergence between humans and chimpanzees, between humans and mice, or between fruitflies. Duret and Mouchiroud showed that the rate of protein divergence was negatively associated with the tissue broadness of gene expression. This chapter first discusses the tissue-driven hypothesis, based on an explicit evolutionary model for providing testable predictions. This theory claims that stabilizing selections for both expression and sequence divergences may be affected simultaneously by common tissue factors. It then addresses an interesting problem about the expression evolution in the human brain since the separate development of humans and chimpanzees.
Paul Waldau
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195145717
- eISBN:
- 9780199834792
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195145712.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Three groups of socially and cognitively complex nonhuman animals are discussed: elephants, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and nonhuman great apes (gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees). ...
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Three groups of socially and cognitively complex nonhuman animals are discussed: elephants, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and nonhuman great apes (gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees). These are assessed in terms of a constellation of general characteristics that lead to rich social relationships among complex individuals, which in turn leads to ethical importance or considerability. The limits of epistemology and sociology of knowledge regarding factual realities are analyzed. The central place of language in ethical debates is assessed.Less
Three groups of socially and cognitively complex nonhuman animals are discussed: elephants, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and nonhuman great apes (gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees). These are assessed in terms of a constellation of general characteristics that lead to rich social relationships among complex individuals, which in turn leads to ethical importance or considerability. The limits of epistemology and sociology of knowledge regarding factual realities are analyzed. The central place of language in ethical debates is assessed.
Tetsuro Matsuzawa
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199549221
- eISBN:
- 9780191724152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199549221.003.11
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This chapter suggests that the strong, near-photographic memory of chimps for number may be one manifestation of a more general characteristic of a representational system that provides ...
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This chapter suggests that the strong, near-photographic memory of chimps for number may be one manifestation of a more general characteristic of a representational system that provides extraordinarily detailed records of visual scenes. Such a system may be viewed as adaptive in a cognitive niche in which rapid, categorical decisions need to be made about objects encountered (e.g. ripe vs. unripe food, friend vs. foe). By contrast, the human cognitive niche emphasizes linguistic descriptions of events that capture an abstract gist which can be communicated to others. In this sense, chimps may be likened to humans with autism who display weak central coherence (i.e. an eye for detail, but without the corresponding big-picture idea).Less
This chapter suggests that the strong, near-photographic memory of chimps for number may be one manifestation of a more general characteristic of a representational system that provides extraordinarily detailed records of visual scenes. Such a system may be viewed as adaptive in a cognitive niche in which rapid, categorical decisions need to be made about objects encountered (e.g. ripe vs. unripe food, friend vs. foe). By contrast, the human cognitive niche emphasizes linguistic descriptions of events that capture an abstract gist which can be communicated to others. In this sense, chimps may be likened to humans with autism who display weak central coherence (i.e. an eye for detail, but without the corresponding big-picture idea).
Erika Lorraine Milam
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780691181882
- eISBN:
- 9780691185095
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691181882.003.0016
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter looks at the scientific revelations produced by Jane Goodall's studies on great apes and the effects these studies had on the contentious field of sociobiology. When Jane Goodall and ...
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This chapter looks at the scientific revelations produced by Jane Goodall's studies on great apes and the effects these studies had on the contentious field of sociobiology. When Jane Goodall and David Hamburg argued for the biological similarities shared by humans and chimpanzees, they also articulated a vision of human nature. They based this vision on biological relatedness rather than on ecological sympathy and implicitly questioned the gendered roles and social hierarchies that characterized baboon behavior as the most appropriate primate model for reconstructing the social and behavioral norms that might have characterized early human life on the savannah. Goodall's early discoveries that chimpanzees manufactured tools, sticks with which to eat termites and masticated leaves with which to sponge up water, fit well with hypotheses that the origins of tool use lay in manufacturing aids for “gathering and processing food” rather than as weapons. But one of Hamburg's graduate students later recalled him warning her not to go overboard with sociobiology.Less
This chapter looks at the scientific revelations produced by Jane Goodall's studies on great apes and the effects these studies had on the contentious field of sociobiology. When Jane Goodall and David Hamburg argued for the biological similarities shared by humans and chimpanzees, they also articulated a vision of human nature. They based this vision on biological relatedness rather than on ecological sympathy and implicitly questioned the gendered roles and social hierarchies that characterized baboon behavior as the most appropriate primate model for reconstructing the social and behavioral norms that might have characterized early human life on the savannah. Goodall's early discoveries that chimpanzees manufactured tools, sticks with which to eat termites and masticated leaves with which to sponge up water, fit well with hypotheses that the origins of tool use lay in manufacturing aids for “gathering and processing food” rather than as weapons. But one of Hamburg's graduate students later recalled him warning her not to go overboard with sociobiology.
Kevin N. Laland
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780691182810
- eISBN:
- 9780691184470
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691182810.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter describes three theoretical analyses which shed light on the question as to what was different about the behavior, morphology, or circumstances of our ancestors that allowed our ...
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This chapter describes three theoretical analyses which shed light on the question as to what was different about the behavior, morphology, or circumstances of our ancestors that allowed our technology and culture to take off in such an extraordinary manner. Here, mathematical modeling has proven extremely insightful, particularly by demonstrating that high-fidelity transmission would lead to cultural traits persisting for extremely long periods. The theoretical findings supported a verbal argument that had been made previously by psychologist Michael Tomasello at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Tomasello had proposed that our species' unique capabilities for language, teaching, and efficient imitation had allowed us to transmit knowledge with a higher fidelity than observed in other animals, and that this transmission fidelity explained the existence of cumulative culture (what he termed “ratcheting”) in humans, but not in other animals. The chapter ends with an account of an experimental investigation in children, chimpanzees, and capuchin monkeys that reinforces these theoretical findings.Less
This chapter describes three theoretical analyses which shed light on the question as to what was different about the behavior, morphology, or circumstances of our ancestors that allowed our technology and culture to take off in such an extraordinary manner. Here, mathematical modeling has proven extremely insightful, particularly by demonstrating that high-fidelity transmission would lead to cultural traits persisting for extremely long periods. The theoretical findings supported a verbal argument that had been made previously by psychologist Michael Tomasello at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Tomasello had proposed that our species' unique capabilities for language, teaching, and efficient imitation had allowed us to transmit knowledge with a higher fidelity than observed in other animals, and that this transmission fidelity explained the existence of cumulative culture (what he termed “ratcheting”) in humans, but not in other animals. The chapter ends with an account of an experimental investigation in children, chimpanzees, and capuchin monkeys that reinforces these theoretical findings.
oël Fagot and Carole Parron
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195334654
- eISBN:
- 9780199933167
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195334654.003.0021
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter discusses studies that compared grouping mechanisms in two nonhuman primate species (chimpanzees and baboons) and in humans. A local advantage, rather than a global advantage ...
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This chapter discusses studies that compared grouping mechanisms in two nonhuman primate species (chimpanzees and baboons) and in humans. A local advantage, rather than a global advantage characterized by the processing of hierarchical stimuli in baboons, was observed. Detailed investigation of local advantage in baboons revealed that local precedence can be accounted for by a reduced proximity grouping; and a local mode of stimulus processing was also evident in the perception of the Ebbinghaus illusion, for which there was no explicit training to process the global stimulus structure. Similar studies of global-local precedence were conducted in other primate species and in birds. With a few exceptions, these comparative studies confirm that the local processing mode is not restricted to baboons, but also characterizes the perception of chimpanzees, macaques, capuchins, and even pigeons.Less
This chapter discusses studies that compared grouping mechanisms in two nonhuman primate species (chimpanzees and baboons) and in humans. A local advantage, rather than a global advantage characterized by the processing of hierarchical stimuli in baboons, was observed. Detailed investigation of local advantage in baboons revealed that local precedence can be accounted for by a reduced proximity grouping; and a local mode of stimulus processing was also evident in the perception of the Ebbinghaus illusion, for which there was no explicit training to process the global stimulus structure. Similar studies of global-local precedence were conducted in other primate species and in birds. With a few exceptions, these comparative studies confirm that the local processing mode is not restricted to baboons, but also characterizes the perception of chimpanzees, macaques, capuchins, and even pigeons.
Michael Tomasello
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195380392
- eISBN:
- 9780199863501
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380392.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
Many animal species live in complex social groups, some of whom transmit information across generations “culturally”. Humans’ uniquely cultural way of life began with this kind of social organization ...
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Many animal species live in complex social groups, some of whom transmit information across generations “culturally”. Humans’ uniquely cultural way of life began with this kind of social organization but then acquired novel characteristics as a result of biological adaptations for interacting with other persons in species-unique forms of cooperative activity, including collaborative problem-solving, cooperative communication, and instructed learning. These more cooperative, cultural ways of doing things have as their psychological foundation various skills and motivations for shared intentionality.Less
Many animal species live in complex social groups, some of whom transmit information across generations “culturally”. Humans’ uniquely cultural way of life began with this kind of social organization but then acquired novel characteristics as a result of biological adaptations for interacting with other persons in species-unique forms of cooperative activity, including collaborative problem-solving, cooperative communication, and instructed learning. These more cooperative, cultural ways of doing things have as their psychological foundation various skills and motivations for shared intentionality.
Josep Call and Michael Tomasello
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199245635
- eISBN:
- 9780191715303
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199245635.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Chimpanzees follow the gaze of conspecifics and humans — follow it past distractors and behind barriers, ‘check back’ with humans when gaze following does not yield interesting sights, use gestures ...
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Chimpanzees follow the gaze of conspecifics and humans — follow it past distractors and behind barriers, ‘check back’ with humans when gaze following does not yield interesting sights, use gestures appropriately depending on the visual access of their recipient, and select different pieces of food depending on whether their competitor has visual access to them. Taken together, these findings make a strong case for the hypothesis that chimpanzees have some understanding of what other individuals can and cannot see. However, chimpanzees do not seem nearly so skillful in the Gesture Choice and Object Choice experimental paradigms. Neither behavioral conditioning nor theory of mind explanations can account for these results satisfactorily. Instead this chapter proposes the idea that chimpanzees have the cognitive skills to recall, represent, categorize, and reason about the behavior and perception of others, but not their intentional or mental states, because they do not know that others have such states since they cannot make a link to their own. Human beings began their own evolutionary trajectory with these same skills, but then at some point in their evolution (probably quite recently) they began to understand that their own experience could serve as some kind of model for that of other persons. This allowed for even better prediction and control of the behavior of others and better communication and cooperation with them as well, and so it was an adaptation with immediate adaptive consequences that ensured its survival.Less
Chimpanzees follow the gaze of conspecifics and humans — follow it past distractors and behind barriers, ‘check back’ with humans when gaze following does not yield interesting sights, use gestures appropriately depending on the visual access of their recipient, and select different pieces of food depending on whether their competitor has visual access to them. Taken together, these findings make a strong case for the hypothesis that chimpanzees have some understanding of what other individuals can and cannot see. However, chimpanzees do not seem nearly so skillful in the Gesture Choice and Object Choice experimental paradigms. Neither behavioral conditioning nor theory of mind explanations can account for these results satisfactorily. Instead this chapter proposes the idea that chimpanzees have the cognitive skills to recall, represent, categorize, and reason about the behavior and perception of others, but not their intentional or mental states, because they do not know that others have such states since they cannot make a link to their own. Human beings began their own evolutionary trajectory with these same skills, but then at some point in their evolution (probably quite recently) they began to understand that their own experience could serve as some kind of model for that of other persons. This allowed for even better prediction and control of the behavior of others and better communication and cooperation with them as well, and so it was an adaptation with immediate adaptive consequences that ensured its survival.
Daniel Povinelli
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198572190
- eISBN:
- 9780191584978
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198572190.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
From an early age, humans know a surprising amount about basic physical principles, such as gravity, force, mass, and shape. We can see this in the way that young children play and manipulate objects ...
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From an early age, humans know a surprising amount about basic physical principles, such as gravity, force, mass, and shape. We can see this in the way that young children play and manipulate objects around them. The same behavior has long been observed in primates — chimpanzees have been shown to possess a remarkable ability to make and use simple tools. But what does this tell us about their inner mental state — do they therefore share the same understanding to that of a young child? Do they understand the simple, underlying physical principles involved? Though some people would say that they do, this book reports groundbreaking research that questions whether this really is the case. Challenging the assumptions so often made about apes, it offers us a rare glimpse into the workings of another mind, examining how apes perceive and understand the physical world — an understanding that appears to be both similar to, and yet profoundly different from our own.Less
From an early age, humans know a surprising amount about basic physical principles, such as gravity, force, mass, and shape. We can see this in the way that young children play and manipulate objects around them. The same behavior has long been observed in primates — chimpanzees have been shown to possess a remarkable ability to make and use simple tools. But what does this tell us about their inner mental state — do they therefore share the same understanding to that of a young child? Do they understand the simple, underlying physical principles involved? Though some people would say that they do, this book reports groundbreaking research that questions whether this really is the case. Challenging the assumptions so often made about apes, it offers us a rare glimpse into the workings of another mind, examining how apes perceive and understand the physical world — an understanding that appears to be both similar to, and yet profoundly different from our own.
Barbara Smuts
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199544318
- eISBN:
- 9780191701351
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544318.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter uses the evolution of bonobo society, and specifically how it came to develop some radical differences from chimpanzee society, to illustrate the role of emergence in social evolution. ...
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This chapter uses the evolution of bonobo society, and specifically how it came to develop some radical differences from chimpanzee society, to illustrate the role of emergence in social evolution. Reconstruction of bonobo social evolution involves comparisons with other great apes and, in particular, with their closest relatives, chimpanzees. The discussion looks at the importance in bonobo social evolution of multiple feedback loops (including downward causation), history, the emergence of novelty, and individual intentions and consciousness.Less
This chapter uses the evolution of bonobo society, and specifically how it came to develop some radical differences from chimpanzee society, to illustrate the role of emergence in social evolution. Reconstruction of bonobo social evolution involves comparisons with other great apes and, in particular, with their closest relatives, chimpanzees. The discussion looks at the importance in bonobo social evolution of multiple feedback loops (including downward causation), history, the emergence of novelty, and individual intentions and consciousness.
