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| Why do anthropologists study non-human primates? Ans: Anthropologists study non-human primates to understand better what makes us human. By studying non-human primates researchers learn more and more about the similarities and differences we share with other primates. Researchers also use information from living primates to provide insight to the behaviors of our extinct ancestors. Researchers study our extinct ancestors to understand why these similarities and differences exist, how they have evolved, and when they first appeared. Do the terms primate, monkey, and ape all mean the same thing? Ans: No. In common usage, most people do not distinguish between these terms and use them as synonyms. Of these terms, primate is the most inclusive: monkeys, apes, humans, and prosimians all fall into the primate order. The primate order has two suborders: prosimians and anthropoids. Prosimians include lemurs, tarsiers, and lorises. The suborder anthropoid has two infraorders: New World monkeys (platyrrhines) and Old World monkeys (catarrhines). Apes are a kind of Old World monkey. So the terms primate, monkey, and ape differ primarily in terms of how inclusive or specific they are. The term primate is the least specific in that it includes the greatest species, while the term ape is the most specific since it includes only gibbons, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas. How can the existence of certain primate species be threatened if there are so many primates in zoos and on television? Ans: The threat to primate life around the world is severe and growing. The biggest threat is the loss of habitat due the destruction of the tropical forests where 90% of primates live. As these forests disappear, so do many primate species. The most threatened group of primates is the apes; there are only 250 mountain gorillas left in the wild. Another threat is the hunting of primates for their meat, skins, and body parts. Although minor compared to deforestation and hunting, another reason for the demise of primates is their capture for use in labs and as pets. Primates can mimic certain human behaviors, but do we share any real similarities with primates? Ans: Yes, humans share many similarities with primates, because humans are primates. While there are some key traits that are unique to humans, like kinship, there are a series of important similarities that we share with non-human primates. Interestingly, many of these traits were once thought to be found only in humans, but as our understanding improves, it has become clear that we share many behaviors with non-human primates. For example, the capacity for learning, the deliberate manufacture and use of tools, hunting, and inter-community aggression were all once thought to be uniquely human, but now have been observed in different non-human primate communities. |