Readings 1 Vocab (bad version)

What is a primate and what are their traits?

A mammal belonging to the biological order Primates. This includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans.

Traits:

• grasping hands or feet

• nails instead of claws in most species

• forward-facing eyes with strong perception

(to be better defined in class)

primatology and how the study of it changed throughout the years

the scientific study of primates
- the study changed throughout the years from it being anthropological, to it being more evolutionary and quantitative.

primate behavioral ecology

Study of how ecology, evolution, social conditions, and other factors affect primate behavior

comparative approach

studying similarities and differences among species or populations to understand why particular traits or behaviors occur

anthropocentrism and how that affected studying of primates

viewing humans as the central or uniquely important reference point.

• This influenced which primates scientists studied and how they interpreted them

nature-culture dichotomy and how primates complicate it

The traditional separation of “nature” from “culture”, often placing animals on the nature side and humans on the culture side.

• Primates complicate this because they show learned traditions, complex social relationships, tool use, and other behaviors associated with culture

Boundary species

species that appear to blur the supposed boundary between humans and other animals. Primates oftern occupy this position in anthropology

referential model

a species used as a model for understanding another species, especially early humans

The Early and Later primatology questions, and its significance

Early: “Which primates provide the best model for understanding humans?”
Later: “What general ecological, evolutionary, and social principles explain primate behavior?”

• The movement in question is significant because it emphasizes how the study has changed over the years.

Ecology and examples of ecology

Relationships between organisms and their environment

Examples:

• food distribution

• predators

• resource availability

phylogeny

The evolutionary relationships among organisms based on shared ancestry

Ecological model

Explanation showing that behavior develops partly in response to environmental conditions

phylogenetic model

Explanation showing that Similarities in behavior may result from shared evolutionary ancestry.

The significance of Ecology vs. phylogeny

Similar behavior can result either from similar environments or from common ancestry, so researchers must distinguish between them.

terrestrial

Living or spending substantial time on the ground.

bipedal

moving on 2 legs

savanna

Open grassland environment.

• Early researchers used savanna baboons as possible ecological models for terrestrial early hominids.

social organization

The structure of relationships within a social group, including group size, sex composition, hierarchy, dispersal, and kinship.

hierarchy

Social ranking system in which individuals differ in status or dominance.

alliance

Cooperative relationship between individuals, often used in social competition.

sociality

The general ways organisms live and interact socially.

important concept with baboons living in savannas

Savanna baboons lived in large, cohesive, hierarchical groups, while forest populations could display different patterns. This helped reveal that behavior within a species could change under different ecological conditions.

hominid

Term used in the article when discussing humans, their ancestors, and comparisons with great apes.

tool use

Using an external object to accomplish a task. Chimpanzee tool use challenged older claims that tools uniquely separated humans from other animals.

hunting

Cooperative or individual capture of other animals for food.

human uniqueness

The idea that certain traits belong exclusively to humans. Strier shows that primate research repeatedly weakened supposed boundaries between humans and other animals.

matrilineal

Kinship relationships traced primarily through females.

matrilocal

Social system in which females tend to remain in their birth group while males disperse.

patrilocal

Social system in which males tend to remain in their birth group while females disperse.

Myth of the typical primates

The mistaken idea that one familiar primate social system, especially the matrilocal baboon or macaque pattern, represents the normal primate pattern. Greater research showed much more diversity.

Ethnography

Detailed observation and description of the behavior and social life of a group.

Ethnographic approach

Early primatologists closely observed recognizable individuals, gave them names, recorded anecdotes, and described their social relationships in detail.

Ethology

Scientific study of animal behavior, especially through systematic observation.

Participant observation

Researcher becomes closely involved in observing a social group. Early primatologists resembled ethnographers in this way.

Provisioning

Providing wild animals with food, often to habituate them to researchers and make observation easier.

Habituation

Process through which animals become accustomed to human observers.

Informant

In ethnography, a person who helps reveal information about a culture. Strier compares especially observable primates in early field studies to “informants.”

Systematic sampling

Collecting observations according to standardized procedures rather than simply recording whatever seems interesting.

Quantitative methods

Methods based on numerical measurement and statistical comparison.

Observer bias

Influence of a researcher's expectations or choices on what is observed, recorded, or interpreted.