Posted: September 7th, 2024

Primate Behavior Report

Primate Behavior Report

Introduction
Primatology is a branch of Zoology which involves the study of primates. The scientific study can be conducted either zoos, laboratories, and the natural habitats of the animals. Primatology is carried out with the aim of understanding how humans work. According to the Primatologists, the primates have a close relationship with people thus the significance of the study to explain the origin of man (Robbins,2015). Furthermore, the behavior relationships of the primates show a connection with the human behaviors. Therefore, Primatologists are concerned with the study of the behavior of the primates to understand the actions of people. The case study involved the observation of the primates such as the Gorillas and monkeys. The purpose of the report is to identify and appreciate the similarities and differences between the behaviors of the primate groups and human beings. The objectives of the report were achieved by the study of the major characteristics regarding the primate groups. The features include the general behaviors of the primate groups, communication, and locomotion. Evidence indicates that the possession of the unique feature helps to distinguish the primates from other animals which are less intelligent thereby supporting the suggestion concerning their close relation with human beings.
Date, Location, and Conditions
The observations were carried out on 24 October between 2 and 5 in the evening. The first two hours were only concentrated with the observation of the animals and the last one hour was spent organizing the gathered information. The location of the study was based in San Diego Zoo. The study involved the observation of two species, G.Gorilla species of the Gorilla genus and the bonobo whose scientific name is Pan paniscus. The species chosen for the observation had distinguishing features which enabled the identification of the sexes. In the exhibit, there were 2 males and 3 females and a baby. By observation, you could be able to identify the males from the females. The males were huge with muscular muscles, unlike the females. They had a silverback thus enhancing easy identification. The huge muscles of the male Gorillas made it a little difficult to compare them with a human. However, its size can be compared to body builders (Robbins, 2015). On the other hand, the females were of a smaller size thus compared with women. The method of observation involved two approaches. The first approach, continuous follow-up, focused on study an individual species to determine its behavior and interaction with other members of the groups. In the second approach, sample groups were scanned at specific intervals and the results recorded. The actions and interactions of the primate groups were studied at intervals of 5 minutes within a span of 60 minutes.
The Natural Habitat and Geographical Distribution of the Primates (Gorillas and Bonobos)
The bonobos occupy the forested and the savannah grasslands. Also, they live in woodland habitats. They live in family groups that are dominated by females. In their wild habitats, the male bonobos separate from their family groups during the adolescence stage. They also make adaptations referred as fission and fusion responding to factors such as the availability of food and situations regarding social interactions in their groups (Wolfheim, 1983). They are omnivorous, and their diet mainly comprises of fruits and seeds.
The bonobos inhabit the Equatorial Basin of Central Africa. The region is located in the South of the Congo River which extends from the areas of the Lualaba River to the southern Sankuru Rivers (Wolfheim, 1983). The major geographical locations of the bonobos include the northern block consisting of Maringa, Lupori, and Wamba. The eastern block is made of regions like Lualaba and Lomami while the southern block comprises of Solanga.
The Gorillas inhabit the tropical forests. The habitats have a little temperature variance of about 23 degrees. They also occupy the sub-tropical forests which are composed of deciduous forests. The deciduous forests are characterized by plants which shed leaves at the particular times of the year. Furthermore, the Gorillas inhabit the lowland tropical forests made up of shrubs, succulent plants, and trees. The lowland forests usually experience long dry seasons.
The different species of Gorillas occupy different geographical regions. For instance, theWestern Lowland Gorillas occupy the tropical forests of West African countries like Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Also, they inhabit the tropical forests of Congo, Central African Republic, and Gabon. On the other hand, the species of eastern lowland Gorilla occupies the tropical forest located in Eastern Zaire (Wolfheim, 1983). The Mountain Gorillas inhabit the tropical forests of Uganda, Zaire, and Rwanda. The Cross River Gorillas inhabit the regions of Cameroon and Nigeria.
The investigation was concerned with the observation of the behavior patterns of the primates. The observed behaviors among the animals include communication, mother and infant relationships, dominance, and aggressive behavior. Other observed behaviors comprised sexual behaviors, play actions, and male and female relationships.
Communication
The primate species used body postures such as gestures and vocalization for communication. The gestures were observed to indicate emotions such as excitement, anger, fear, and confidence (Mcneilage,1998). For instance, the Gorillas were seen to yawn exposing their teeth indicating a threat. Also, eye contact served to communicate threat whereas the mounting behavior was observed to diffuse the aggressive situations. The primates also used vocalization to communicate. For example, made sounds when they noticed some form of impending danger or another primate group approaching.
The Dominance Behavior
Among the group of animals studied, it was noted that the primates tended to create dominance hierarchies. In the hierarchies, the primates in the higher rank displaced, the lower primates from essential resources such as food, mates, and space. According to the observations, the animals in the higher rank tended to have greater success in reproduction since they enjoyed the advantage of more resources and mate partners (Mcneilage,1998). The hierarchy was observed to be dependent on factors such as sex and age. Furthermore, it was learned through agonistic and affiliative interactions. Also, the play interactions of the primates played a role in the formation of the hierarchies.
Mother and Infant Behaviors
The mother and the infant exhibited close relationship. The infants always walked with its mother who offered protection in situations of danger. In spite of the infant being hand reared by the zoo keepers, it was observed that the maternal bond with the mother still existed. For example, the mothers carried the infants on their backs as they walked around. Whenever, they came across edible food varieties, they always offered the infants the opportunity of eating before they ate. During this period of infancy, it was noted that the females combined thus forming matrilines which promoted their dominance over an alpha male.
Aggressive Behavior
The primates such as the Gorillas and the chimps exhibited aggressive behavior. For example, the chimps were observed to gang up to attack a neighboring group of chimps (Mcneilage, 1998). Also, the Gorillas stood bipedally banging their chests with the aim of attacking other groups or animals from other species. In another instance, one male chimp was observed to bipedally charge after a subordinate thus the expression of aggressive dominance behavior.
Play Behavior
The primates were seen to jump from one tree branch to another and swing in excitement. They ran around the zoo engaging in feeble fights. The infants were observed to play with their mothers in an attempt to swing using the flexible tree branches and extended roots. The infants played with their mothers and other adult males. Also, the adult males exhibited the play behavior by engaging in feeble fights and scrambles. Also, the primate groups stood and walked bipedally while making funny sounds as they charged their subordinates. The play behavior was identified to indicate close interactions thus close relationships.
The behaviors exhibited by the primates had a close relation with the human behaviors. For instance, the above references include the play behaviors, communications, relationship, and dominance behaviors. People communicate using verbal and non-verbal approaches which are also exhibited by the primates. Also, the human females show maternal bonding relationships which are displayed in the primates. However, the observed behaviors are less primitive compared to human actions. During the case study, the people tried to engage the primates in a play relationships. For instance, they gave the primates food stuff and tried to scare them to observe their reactions (Mcneilage, 1998). The Zoo environment may interfere with relationships of the infant and mother the baby may be separated till it attains a certain age thus affecting the maternal bond. Also, the caged environment may limit the behavior activities of the animals since they are controlled. However, the Zoo environment provides activities such as language learning which improves the intelligence of the animals.

Conclusion and Reflections
The behavior patterns of primates differ slightly from the human behavior due to the differing level of advancement. However, they show close relationships to human behaviors from the modes of communication to the interaction patterns. The primates behaviors adapt according to their environments. In a caged environment such as the Zoo, the animals are a little aggressive compared to the wild primates. Their behavior patterns have adapted due to their interaction with the humans. Therefore, the Primatologists use the results gathered from the study of the primates to understand the actions of people man. Since the primates are the immediate ancestors of humans, they serve as the essential specimens for the research activities.

Reference
Robbins, M. M. (2015). Gorillas. The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality. Doran, D. M., &
Mcneilage, A. (1998). Primate ecology and behavior. Evolutionary anthropology: Issues, news, and reviews, 6(4), 120-131.
Wolfheim, J. H. (1983). Primates of the world: distribution, abundance and conservation. Psychology Press.

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