Order of lecture

-primatology

-behavior, behavioral ecology, and reproductive behavior

-primate social behavior: -dominance hierarchies -communication-primate 'cultural' behavior

-human language

-cooperation and altruism1

Chapter 7 Primate behavior

Where: Africa, Southeast Asia, South and Central America

Traits distinguishing primates from mammals: -longer flexible limbs (prehensility)-generalized dentition (omnivorous)-rely on vision more (diurnal, stereoscopic and color vision)-longer maturation stages (more reliance on learned behaviors)

-primate traits are adaptations to an arboreal lifestyle

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Summary Chapter 6 main points

Behavioral ecology: behaviors are adaptations -beneficial behaviors are selected for based on environment

-social structure affected by ecological factors like diet, resource distribution, predation

Reproductive behaviors influence social structure: -females compete for resources that benefit increased parental investment while males compete for access to females

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Summary of primate behavior points

Primate societies organize into dominance hierarchies:-impose order-establish parameters for individual behavior-rank measured by access to resources-learned and ranks can be changed-dominance and subordination is communicated

4

Summary of primate behavior points

Order of lecture

-primatology

-behavior, behavioral ecology, and reproductive behavior

-primate social behavior: -dominance hierarchies -communication-primate 'cultural' behavior

-human language

-cooperation and altruism5

Chapter 7 Primate behavior

-study of nonhuman primate behavior and biology

6

Primatology

-study of nonhuman primate behavior and biology

7

Primatology

Behavior: an organism's response to external/internal stimuli

-behavioral ecology

-reproductive behaviors

-primates are highly social animals so interested in social behaviors

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Behavior in general

Behavioral ecology: all biological components of ecological systems evolved together.

Behavioral adaptations: natural selection acts on behaviors that increase reproductive fitness relative to different environments

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Behavioral ecology

Diet: weigh energy gained by food against energy expended obtaining food

Distribution of resources: leaves are abundant, fruits dispersed on trees (groups split up and forage), etc.

Predation: high predation makes larger groups more advantageous

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Factors influencing social structure

Reproductive strategies: produce and successfully rear to adulthood as many offspring as possible

R-selected: have many offspring, little parental investment

K-selected: few offspring, more parental care investment

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Reproductive behaviors

Primates are k-selected

Females compete for resources benefitting offspring rearing

Males compete for access to females

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Primate reproductive strategies

Sexual dimorphism influenced by high male competition-larger male body size and teeth

Estrus: swelling of skin around female genital area-visual cue of female's readiness to mate

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Primate reproductive strategies

-system of social organization wherein individuals are ranked relative to one another-measure rank by access to resources

Dominant/subordinate position is communicated-learn rank through interactions with other members of a group

Benefits: reduces physical violence in groups-higher ranking individuals have higher reproductive success

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Primate dominance hierarchies

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Primate social structure influenced by reproductive behavior

Monogamy: one male-one femaleEx: gibbons

Polyandry: single-female, multi-male Ex: red lion tamarins

Both are rare for primates

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Primate social structure influenced by reproductive behavior

Polygyny: multi-female, single-male -commonEx: gorillas, baboons

Multi-female, multi-male -most commonEx: chimpanzees

-acts that conveys info to another individual (the recipient)-results in change in recipient's behavior

autonomic: involuntary behaviorsEx: scents, hair standing up, facial coloration

intentional: voluntary behaviors-primates communicate submission, reassurance, warningsEx: postures, facial expressions, vocalizations

Ex: alarm calls for birds, snakes, leopards https://youtu.be/o-bxPLFt1vI 17

Communication

-vital to social living Ex: gestures communicate social bonds

Aggressive behaviors-conflict between group members-often due to competition for resources

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Communication

Displays: behaviors convey emotional states-reduces physical violence-reinforces position in dominance hierarchy

Ex: Facial expressions: dominance threatening face vs submissive fear grin

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Dominant/subordinate communication

-promote social cohesion-defuse tense situations-convey reassurance Ex: touching, petting, hugging, holding hands

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Affiliative behaviors

Grooming: picking debris out of another's fur-most important affiliative behavior seen in many social contexts-reinforces social bondsEx: moms groom infants, males groom sexually receptive females,...

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Affiliative behaviors

-observe complex social behaviors in primates resembling culture-young primates learn through observations

Ex: modifying termite fishing twigs shows planning/forethought

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Primate "cultural" behavior

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Primate "cultural" behavior-observe complex social behaviors in primates resembling culture-young primates learn through observations

Ex: modifying termite fishing twigs shows planning/forethought

Koko: female gorilla learned 700 ASL signs from primatologistsSome evidence of:

-linguistic productivity (called swans waterbirds)-linguistic displacement (reactions to missing kittens)

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Primate communication and 'language'

Kanzi: male bonobo capable of communicating with lexigrams-at 2.5 years old spontaneously learned by observing primatologists teach his mother-evidence of teaching other primates

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Primate communication and 'language'

Koko and Kanzi demonstrate-nonhuman apes can learn to communicate

But animal communication-conveys information about immediate, present states-no grammar (specific rules)-not seen in wild gorilla or chimpanzee populations-cannot producing sounds of human speech

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Primate communication and 'language'

-socially and culturally learned (observation and taught)-grammar-relies on linguistic productivity-uses arbitrary symbols (gestures and written)-linguistic displacement-conveys abstract concepts (past and future)-objects we can't see

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Human language