Tag Archives | primates

Fish Agree: Majority Rules

November 1, 2012

(ANIMAL BEHAVIOR) All social animals—whether they are packing rats, schooling fish, flocking birds, colonizing bees, herding elephants, or even crowding humans—adhere to the democratic principle of majority rule. Ian Couzin, an evolutionary biologist at Princeton University, states, “One common property we see in animal groups from schooling fish to flocking birds to primate groups is that they effectively vote to decide where to go and what to do.” Because we are social animals, it is in our nature to follow the majority. Read on to learn more about Couzin’s intriguing study. — Global Animal

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SF Giants Lucky Langur: Good Luck Charm? (POLL)

October 30, 2012

(ANIMAL LOVERS) SAN FRANCISCO — According to a spokesperson for the San Francisco Zoo, some baseball fans are attributing the San Francisco Giants’ recent success to the birth of a black and orange colored François’ langur monkey, who was born just days before the Major League team went on a three-game run to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. And with the recent news of the team sweeping the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the World Series, superstitious sports fans believe this “Lucky Langur” was indeed the good luck charm that propelled the Giants to victory. Do you agree? Or is this just another example of animal exploitation? Take our poll below. — Global Animal

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How A Gorilla Can Help Your Career

October 29, 2012

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) UNITED KINGDOM — With his background in primate behavior, biologist Patrick van Veen has created a new business management course that guides a group of business people around the zoo to observe primate behavior and see how it is similar to relations in the workplace. Because we share 98.6 percent of our genetic material with chimpanzees, it’s not surprising that we partake in very similar relationship patterns, particularly our analogous social grooming behavior. Read on to learn more about what we can learn from primates in order to evolve in our careers. — Global Animal

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Research Chimps Retired, Not Exactly Free

October 12, 2012

(ANIMAL TESTING) LOUISIANA — The National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed last month that they will be retiring 110 chimpanzees from a Louisianan research center in an attempt to help end animal testing. While ten of the chimps will be moved to a nearby sanctuary, the other 100 will be moved to another research institute in Texas. There, they will be ineligible for testing or research, but will be permitted to take part in any behavioral studies. The lucky ten chimpanzees en route to the sanctuary Chimp Haven will no longer have to suffer through animal testing. Read on for more on this bittersweet news. — Global Animal

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Dolphins, Dogs & Elephants Smarter Than Primates?

July 13, 2012

(ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE) In recent years, animal researchers have found that animals’ thought processes aren’t connected to how closely related they are to humans. For instance, dolphins, dogs, and elephants exhibit levels of intelligence, social behavior, and communications that are markedly quite similar to that of our chimp relatives. Read on to learn how these animals demonstrate the capacity and characteristics of the human mind. — Global Animal

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Orangutan With Smoking Addiction Kicks The Habit

July 7, 2012

(ANIMAL NEWS) INDONESIA — Apparently humans aren’t the only animals who enjoy smoking cigarettes. Zookeepers at an Indonesian zoo claim that one of their orangutans has an addiction to smoking, and they are determined to intervene. The ape, Tori, has been smoking for quite awhile, beginning ten years ago when visitors began littering their cigarette butts in her enclosure. And she’s not the only one with a nicotine fix. Read on to learn how the thoughtless actions of zoo visitors has changed her life forever. — Global Animal

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Era Of Chimp Research Ends At Maryland Lab

July 7, 2012

(ANIMAL TESTING) A 30-year run of chimpanzee research is finally coming to an end at Bioqual, a controversial research facility in Rockville, Maryland. Just four chimps remain at the facility, indicating a pivitol shift away from the use of chimpanzees for medical research. In fact, a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) last December labeled nearly all chimpanzee research as scientifically unjustified. Read on to learn more about this victory and see the video that explores whether we’re nearing the beginning of the end of chimpanzee testing. — Global Animal

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Are We Like Chimps Or Are Chimps Like Us?

May 24, 2012

(CHIMPANZEE/HUMAN) Previous studies have indicated that chimpanzees share similar personality characteristics to non-human primates such as orangutans. While chimps and humans are also believed to share personality traits, does this belief have scientific merit or is it simply an object of anthropomorphism? Read on to learn about a recent personality study about chimps and the study’s conclusion below! — Global Animal

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