Africa is a primo place to go if you’re hunting fossils, the primate kind and otherwise. South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Kenya are prime fossil hunting grounds since the landscape tends to be dry with little vegetation, making the ground highly exposed and the digging relatively easy. Though most fossils from the most primitive primates… Continue reading Primate Fossils of Africa
Category: Info
Come on baby, do the loco-motion!
Dubbed by Rolling Stones as one of the greatest songs of all time, “the locomotion” has been making people dance for decades, but it takes on an entirely different meaning in the world of primatology. We use the term locomotion to describe the way a primate usually travels or moves about in its habitat. All… Continue reading Come on baby, do the loco-motion!
Which Great Apes are Endangered, and why does it matter?
I know it’s the weekend, but get out your paper because it’s time for a little Pop Quiz. Which of the following are endangered? (a) Chimpanzees (b) Orangutans (c) Gorillas (d) All of the above You can breathe now…it was only one question! As a primate enthusiast, you may be aware that the correct answer… Continue reading Which Great Apes are Endangered, and why does it matter?
Contagious (hooooh, hummmm) Yawning
Although scientists have yet to determine the exact function of the yawn in humans, some research suggests that yawning was used in our evolutionary past as a communication signal of some sort. Perhaps it was a means of showing off ones large teeth in a threat display or simply a way to signal to everyone… Continue reading Contagious (hooooh, hummmm) Yawning
The AAC’s Bonobo Sanctuary-Nursery in Kinshasa
The association “Les Amis des Animaux au Congo” (AAC, the Friends of Animals in Congo) is a non-profit organization which was first created in 1994 with the objective of providing food for the animals in the Kinshasa Zoo. After several orphaned bonobos arrived at the zoo, special interest was taken in their wellbeing and the… Continue reading The AAC’s Bonobo Sanctuary-Nursery in Kinshasa