Contrast of the Social Organizations in Primates - Assignment Example

Anthropology Primates, like human beings are social animals that do not live alone. They survive in groups that are essential to ensure food security and other resources in times of scarcity. These groups are also useful for defense against wild cats and primates from a different group. Furthermore, the groups help in socializing the infants as well as to ensure that all mature members of the group access a breeding mate for reproduction. This write up separated into two fractions. The first part will analyze the social structure of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, and a comparison among the social structures. The second part of the paper will present an illustration that proves that human beings are part of a continuum, which is biological with other primates. Q1 Contrast of the social organizations in primates. Common chimpanzees live in communities that resemble social groups with a range of between 40 and 60 members. There are times when majority of the community members gather happily to celebrate the juicy fruits in one side of the forest. A similar gathering would be when they meet to mate with a popular-attractive female that could be on heat. Chimps have strong family bonds that are supportive, close and affectionate, and such bonds can last forever. Power among chimps is dominated by adult males that are above all the females. However, the absolute power belongs to a single male at the top of the hierarchy (Schaik 111). The male at the summit of the ladder is perhaps the oldest in the group, and he must posses the most competitive skills both in fighting and intelligence. Power is passed on through conversations from one leader to the other. Although the dominant male may seem to posses a female during mating, even a male that rank low in the community can still sire a female if he possesses the necessary skills to move her away from the group when she is on heat (Schaik 112). On the other hand, gorillas live in groups ten or twelve members who belong to the same family. The family consists of several females, at least one silver back male and the offspring to that family group. Gorillas maintain strong bonds between them and these bonds are strongest between silver back male and females (Parker 78). The silver back male dominates power in the family and offers protection to the family, as he is the father to most of the kids in that family. However, he can lose his power through a challenge from a subordinate silver back male who is unsatisfied with his rule. In females, the bonds are dependent on kinship and they obtain their status by maintaining a close relationship with the high power (Parker 82). The behavior of gorillas is calm, and conflict is exceedingly rare in this community. On the contrary, the social organization of orangutans is semi-solitary, and this behavior is not common among the apes (Schaik 115). Adolescent that are not dependent on their mother, regardless of their sex, and adult males move alone. The only groups that exist among orangutans are those of females and their dependent young ones. Resident males maintain and protect their territories from other males while female avoid each other as their encounters can result to brutal conflicts (Parker 79). Resident males form their territory, which may overlap to his neighboring resident male, when he meets a female to form a consort ship. Several males may form a consort ship with several females and occupy a resident in the same area. Similarities Similarities that exist among the three primates include that they maintain a well defined hierarchy of power among them. This power is dominated by adult males that are in most cases the oldest, the strongest and the most intelligent (Russon and Begun 265). These males also take the responsibility of providing security to the females and the off springs. Secondly, females have the responsibility of rearing and socializing the young ones. Males do not play a central role in the rearing of children. Q 2 Humans are part of a biological continuum The behavior of human beings is similar to the way primates behave. This shows that the ancestry of humans can be traced back to the primates (Schaik 115). These behavior ranges from leadership, mate selection to the way young ones are socialized in the community. Some primates, for example, the chimpanzees, are extremely close to men; by the way, they conduct their business in everyday life. In the first instance, the paper will analyze an example of the factors that influence the social behaviors of humans. The social behavior of humans is influenced by culture and socialization as well as the authority that is essential in bringing social order. A human society is stratified into groups depending on economic power and political influence (Robbins 138). The powerful people can access anything they want because of their influence. This same behavior is demonstrated in primates because their societies are patterned into hierarchies of dominance. These hierarchies are extremely useful as they regulate the behavior of subordinate members of the group (Russon and Begun 266). The dominant animals in a territory enjoy free access to their mates of choice and food items. Subordinate members do not enjoy such privileges of choice and preference. The second example will analyze the communication system among humans and look at the similarities that they show with those of their cousins the primates. Human beings are capable of generating and exchanging deliberate messages (Robbins 129). They hold hands hug each other to communicate reassurance and comfort each other in times of grief. Further, humans communicate fear and emotional states among its members. The above ways of communication are also common among primates. They express autonomic response by raising their body hair. This is equivalent to bristling of hair in human beings in times of terror. Primates attempt to speak by making distinct vocalizations and shaking the tree branches (Jurmain et al 121). These vocalizations are equivalent to speaking in human beings, which involve generating and passing deliberate messages that carry a shared meaning. Similarly, primates assure each other through holding hands and hugging. Lastly the grin of fear indicates submission and fear as well as displays that communicate the states of emotions. Further, there are other human affiliate behaviors that are common among primate. These behaviors include consolation, reconciliation and amicable interactions among relatives and friends. Primates as well as human beings groom hug and kiss each other to reconcile from a conflict (Jurmain et al 123). Therefore, humans are part of an evolutionally continuum and this form the basis for research in animals, as their behavior suggest a common ancestry with primates. In conclusion, gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees share some similarity the nature of their social organization in their community. Similarly, there are many differences, as there are similarities, in the way thy run their daily business. Humans and primates share a lot in common in regard to the way they communicate and resolve conflict. Hierarchy and dominance is more or less the same in the creatures, thus indicating that humans are part of a biological continuum with the rest of the primates. Works Cited Jurmain, Robert, Kilgore, Lynn, Trevathan, Wenda and Ciochon, Russel. Introduction to Physical Anthropology 2011-2012. Chicago. Cengage Learning. 2011. Print. Parker, Sue. The Mentalities of Gorillas and Orangutans: Comparative Perspectives. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. 1999. Print. Robbins, Martha. Sicotte, Pascale and Stewatt, Kelly. Mountain Gorillas: Three Decades of Research at Karisoke. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2005. Print. Russon, Anne and Begun, David. The Evolution of Thought: Evolutionary Origins of Great Ape Intelligence. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2004. Print. Schaik, Carel. Among orangutans: red apes and the rise of human culture. Canada: Harvard University Press.2004. Print. Read More