Primate

The orangutan is scientifically known as the Pongo pygameus. It belongs to the family “Hominidae,” along with the other great apes. In the past, orangutans’ geographic distribution ranged from Southern China to Southeast Asia. Now, this species is only found in Southeast Asia on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Their habitats include multiple tropical rainforests. There is an abundance of trees in the habitats of orangutans since they are highly arboreal animals, spending more than half their…

greater cognitive function, learning about objects, their names, and can listen to instructions. Primatology is the scientific study of primates, studying their behavior, biology, evolution, and taxonomy of nonhuman primates. In the primate family It breaks down to multiply classifications, when you look at their phylogeny you see the evolution and change of primates.…

Capuchin monkeys are some of the most interesting primates of the animal kingdom. It is highly likely that the first time a person encountered a capuchin monkey is not in person, but in a comedy movie featuring a capuchin as the main character’s comedic sidekick or pet. Some people may even adopt capuchins monkeys to raise as pets since they are highly intelligent animals with the ability to be taught skills and instructions. However, researchers often discourage this since capuchin monkeys…

cheek pouch. Initially Poppin resists, however, if she were to resist for too long she would risk getting a beating. 9. How does brain size correspond to group size in primates? The smaller the brain size of a primate, the group that they belonged to would likely be small as well. In contrast, the larger the brain size of the primate, the group that they belonged to would likely be larger. In the example from the video, we see the skull of a baboon who had the largest brain size within the…

direct evidence for the reliable application of adapted human personality testing methods on chimpanzees. Furthermore, the similarities between chimpanzee personality factors and those of humans emphasize the homologous relationship between both primates. Knowing the depths of the evolutionary link between chimpanzees and humans can account for many of the similarities seen between human and chimp…

and Paco Bertolani, anthropology professors at Lowa State University, near the Fongoli River in southeastern Senegal. Study in which it was discovered as a group of chimpanzees uses sharp branches at the ends to hunt a bushbaby, a small nocturnal primate that spends its days sheltered in the hollow of a…

Food: the most necessary supplement to life. There are few experiences that can best biting into a perfectly grilled steak, or savoring the first bite of a warm apple pie. In times of low energy, these dishes and many others step up perfectly to reinvigorate the tired person. Why, then, for most of history, has food been consumed raw? Richard Wrangham explores the notion of cooking and how it led to the evolution of the hominin ancestors into modern humans in his book Catching Fire: How Cooking…

scientists are interested is the brain. They want to know whether the abnormal spindle gene (ASPM gene), important for encoding human homologue for spindle function, is responsible for an abnormal brain growth disorder (MCPH). They know that during primate evolution there has been a significant increase in brain growth, but are unaware of what causes this increase. The central nervous system is the only thing being affected by individuals whom have MCPH. To test their hypothesis, they use Koch’s…

some people still refute the possibility of human superiority. One such example is the case of Carl Linnaeus. In the 1700s, Linnaeus claimed humans fall into the category of primate—the same category as moneys and apes. (Perdew, p. 11) Although this points out a characteristically similar feature between humans and other primates, it brings no evidence against the thought that even though animals may have some form of rights, they are still inferior to humans. Once one is able to understand…

The Pedunculopontine nucleus (Pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, PPTN) is considered one of the key elements of the reticular activating system (RAS)[1]. It is located in the mesencephalic tegmentum just caudal to the red nucleus and dorsal to the substantia nigra; Laterally it is surrounded by the medial lemniscus and medially by fibers of the superior cerebellar peduncle[2]. PPTN has a cluster of cells that exhibit a wide heterogeneity in terms of their neurochemical nature, their discharge…