"In 1881, land here was set aside for a reserve forest," writes Sugato Mukherjee.
"In the decades that followed, however, many wrongs were committed, including a devastating decision to run a 1.6-kilometre railway track through the sanctuary, essentially dividing it in half.
"But the latest chapter is one of hope for both the gibbons and their forest-dwelling neighbours – thanks to rewilding."
We know that great apes are super-smart, but, even so, wow: Wounded wild orangutan Rakus "repeatedly applied the liquid onto his cheek for seven minutes. Rakus then smeared the chewed leaves onto his wound until it was fully covered. He continued to feed on the plant for over 30 minutes... researchers saw no sign of infection and the wound closed within five days." https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68942123#primates#orangutan#animals#animalcognition#anthropology#zoology
'PulseApe [is] a primate-friendly trapeze bar fitted with EKG sensors to capture the chimps' heart activity while they play and swing. This EKG-in-disguise is now part of the Zoo's primate-health repertoire.'
Mark, twenty-six, is shirtless in the photo with a blue-and-white-striped towel swung over one shoulder and a monkey perched on the other. The monkey has the shriveled face of an old man, and its toothy mouth is cracked open like it's laughing, like Mark has told it the funniest joke ever, but its deft little humanlike hand is reaching out for Mark's ear like it wants to grab the ear or tear it off. Mark has no idea. He just stares into the camera grinning like a fool, the tropical sun bouncing off his perfectly capped teeth.
Every time I see one of these on Tinder my stomach churns. The idea of letting something as vile as a monkey get that close to your face is...unsavory. After all, monkeys and humans share 96 percent of the same genetic code and seeing that similarity in action is just plain uncanny. Animal behaviorists study groups of chimpanzees for insights into our own power structures and while these animals do participate in complex communities with rituals and hierarchies, they also possess a rabid barbarism. I once heard a story where a chimp ate an organ out of another smaller monkey, without killing the poor thing first-presumably because the tidbit tasted better fresh. Either that, or the bloodlust was the attraction, and well: Is that the 96 percent in action or the 4 percent? Who knows? So Mark advertising his skill with a wild primate really strikes me as the wrong message to send to potential mates.
“The keeping of slow lorises as pets is having a devastating impact on wild populations, particularly as their natural #habitat is also under threat,” says Alan Knight, IAR Chief Executive.
“So it’s always extremely uplifting to see animals returning to the wild, where they will be given a second chance to live their lives as #nature intended, far from disturbance and interference from human beings.”
Cracking a good joke is no laughing matter, but the complex cognitive abilities that underpin humor have so far been studied mostly in humans, with our great ape cousins going largely overlooked.
Now, a new study reports playful teasing behavior — a precursor to joking — in small groups of chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans.
"Scientists have discovered a universal pattern of brain waves in multiple primate species, including humans."
LiveScience reports: "This pattern of electrical activity is seen in the six layers of tissue that cover the outside of mammals' brains, known as the cerebral cortex."
A recent study challenges the notion that it’s a man’s world when it comes to primate social groups.
The study found that while a majority of species (58%) exhibited male-biased power structures, female- or co-dominant structures were identified in every major primate group.
Can you point me to recent resources for Animal Music? Articles, Research papers etc.
I am preparing a summary/overview in the context of Evolutionary Musicology. I have already a lot of material I just wanna make sure I don't miss something important from the latest research.
'Male dominance has long been assumed to be nearly universal in primates, with female power viewed as a rare exception to the rule. But according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, female-biased power structures or social equality between the sexes can be found within every major primate group and probably existed throughout evolutionary history.'
An experiment with bonobos and chimpanzees suggests the great apes remember their friends and family even after years apart.
Louise, a bonobo who participated in the study, recognized a sister she had last seen 26 years ago, in what is now evidence of the “longest-lasting nonhuman social memory” on the scientific record.
The white handed gibbons at #OaklandZoo have always been one of my favourite photographic subjects, though it is often hard to get good shots. On our last visit the new male was sitting still at the top of a tree, with his mate and their new baby playing next to him. I think he looks very thoughtful and serious here.