Blurring the Line Between Humans and Primates

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2009-12-15 16:00:00 UTC
Topics:

Recent research has shown that the more we know about primates, the more the gap between our species closes. One study revealed complex vocal communication patterns that point toward a form of syntax in alert calls. Another recent study discovered the capacity of face recognition in capuchins that's fundamentally similar to humans. They not only recognized familiar faces in photos, they understood the two-dimensional nature of the pictures. In a less rosy connection, the most endangered group of apes in the world have developed the use of weaponry to stand their ground instead of running from human threats. (At least this last discovery has prompted new protection efforts.)

Last month in Atlanta, the similarities between species was given a dramatic voice in Hominid, an original play created thanks to grants from the Emory College Center for Creativity & Arts and Emory's Creativity: Art and Innovation. There were humans acting like chimpanzees acting like humans in a story of conspiracy, murder, and suicide. As Shakespearean as it sounds, it was actually based on primatologist Frans de Waal's Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes. The play took the similarities between humans and primates off the page and into live action. According to reviews, the chimpanzee roles were more convincing than the humans playing their own species.

The studies and the play are new, but their implications are not (especially to most of the readers of this blog). We can't ignore how closely related we are to primates ... and our primate cousins need our help. Great Apes face devastating habitat loss, threats from the illegal bushmeat trade, and are still being used for research. Sign on to the Manifesto for Apes to protect apes before they disappear from the wild, and support the Great Ape Protection Act to get the U.S. on board with the rest of the world in banning invasive research on chimpanzees and other apes. It's a step in the right direction; hopefully a step that will lead to protection for all primates and other species in the near future.

Photo credit: foshie


Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
PREVIOUS STORY:
Pedigree Dogs: The Cruelty Behind Conformation
NEXT STORY:
Super Bowl Countdown: 5 Actions in 5 Days to Protest Skechers' Dog Racing Ad

COMMENTS (2)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.