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OBSERVATION OF NONHUMAN PRIMATES
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Zoo! Most zoos exhibit primates and they can serve as a laboratory for observing animal
behavior. The behavior of primates in captivity may differ from their behavior in natural habitats, yet
comparative studies of captive and wild populations of the same species have demonstrated that under
good captive conditions the qualitative aspects of behavior differ little from those observed in the wild.
In captivity, though, social interaction is apt to be more frequent and more intense that it is in the wild.
INSTRUCTIONS
Your finished report must be turned in no later than the last class day before finals week begins (in other
words, sometime during the week of May 22 through 25). If you have the necessary computer and email
skills, you may email your report to me. Otherwise, your report MUST be TYPED or MACHINEPRINTED on white paper, double-spaced, and PLEASE use your spell-checker.
ACTIVITIES
This exercise consists of TWO activities.
1. The FIRST ACTIVITY requires you to observe the various primate species at the Zoo and seek
out some basic information.
2. The SECOND ACTIVITY asks you to select a zoo primate population for study. You should
choose a social group of reasonable size: avoid single or paired animals or exceptionally large
populations. As you observe the primate population, please remember that you and your selected
group share a number of features as primates, so you must take some care to avoid interacting
with them and unduly influencing their behavior. For example, do not stare at primates, for they
may see your facial expression as a threat. Also, do not attempt to feed them, and do not make
sudden noises to elicit activity. Remember - you are attempting to observe natural behavior.
FIRST ACTIVITY
This exercise is to be completed based upon observations made at the Zoo - not taken from a book (but
take a physical anthropology textbook with you to the zoo. It will help you in figuring out some of the
following).
1. List by genus, species, & common name the PROSIMIANS one can see at the Zoo. If you don't know
what a Prosimian is, consult some resources - The Human Evolution Coloring Book, any physical
anthropology textbook, your instructor, perhaps a zoo docent.
2. List by genus, species, & common name the AMERICAN MONKEYS one can see at the Zoo. If you
don't know what a monkey is, and/or how to tell the difference between American monkeys and
monkeys from Africa and Asia, consult some resources - The Human Evolution Coloring Book, any
physical anthropology textbook, your instructor, perhaps a zoo docent.
3. List by genus, species, & common name the AFRICAN MONKEYS one can see at the Zoo. If you
don't know what a monkey is, and/or how to tell the difference between American monkeys and
monkeys from Africa and Asia, consult some resources - The Human Evolution Coloring Book, any
physical anthropology textbook, your instructor, perhaps a zoo docent.
4. List by genus, species, & common name the ASIAN MONKEYS one can see at the Zoo. If you don't
know how to tell the difference between Asian monkeys and monkeys from other parts of the worlds,
consult some resources - The Human Evolution Coloring Book, any physical anthropology textbook,
your instructor, perhaps a zoo docent.
5. List by genus, species, & common name, if known, ALL the APES one can see at the Zoo. If you
don't know what an ape is, and/or how to tell the difference between monkeys and apes, consult some
resources - The Human Evolution Coloring Book, any physical anthropology textbook, your instructor,
perhaps a zoo docent.
6. Of all of the primates one can see at the Zoo, which ones are the MOST NUMEROUS?
7. Which apes at the Zoo have INFLATABLE THROAT SACS? What's the function of these sacs?
8. Although most primates are diurnal (active during the day), several species are nocturnal (active at
night). List by Genus-species, common name, & geographical distribution two nocturnal primate species
one can see at the Zoo.
9. An omnivorous diet is one of the evolutionary trends of the Primates. However, not all species are
omnivorous; some are dietary specialists. Name (by Genus-species, common name, and geographical
area of origin) 2 representatives of the "LEAF-EATING" MONKEY GROUP at the Zoo? [If you don't
know what a "leaf-eating" monkey is, consult your resources - The Human Evolution Coloring Book,
any physical anthropology textbook, your instructor, perhaps a zoo docent.
10. Primates are characterized by a diversity of locomotor habits unmatched among the Mammals.
These patterns can be crudely divided into several major categories. Based upon classroom lectures, your
observations at the zoo, and a physical anthropology textbook, please name at least one primate species
at the Zoo for each of the following types of locomotor patterns:
A. Quadrupedalism (either on the ground, in the tress, or both)
B. Knuckle-walking quadrupedalism
C. Brachiation (suspended below branches & swinging from one to another using the arms)
D. Habitual upright bipedalism
11. How many chimpanzees are living at the Zoo? From where did they come? What are their names?
12. When the male chimpanzee at the Zoo sways back and forth, what is he telling you? (You can find
the answer by reading some of the signs.)
13. This applies to those carrying out observations at the San Francisco Zoo. What lemur species live in
the Lipman Family Lemur Forest? How many of each kind of lemurs are there? What did you like /
dislike about the Lipman Forest?
14. How many gorillas are living at the Zoo? From where did they come? What are their names?
SECOND ACTIVITY
Select a zoo primate population for study (e.g., the siamangs, the chimps, the gorillas, the lemurs, etc.).
When you first walk up to the enclosure housing the primates, the behavior of the individuals may
appear to be erratic and random. However, many of these behaviors are stereotyped and are responses to
specific situations. YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT. It takes times to recognize patterns of behavior,
and to ultimately be able to interpret why certain things are occurring.
Behaviors are best seen as motor activities, that is, physical movements. A real danger is to read
emotions and motivations into the behavior of nonhuman animals. Without being able to interview these
primates, you really do not know what is going on in their minds. The best you can do is to carefully and
accurately describe the physical activity of the animals and note the context. Follow these steps:
A. Note the following information about the group you have selected to study:
1) Date and time of observation
2) Weather conditions
3) Common name of primate
4) Scientific name of species
5) Brief description of zoo habitat
6) Brief description of natural habitat
7) Census of group by sex and age category in zoo habitat
8) Census of group by sex and age category in natural habitat
B. Write a narrative of the activities in the enclosure over a period of one hour. You might want to write
this as a list of individual behavioral events. For each event, carefully describe what is occurring: who is
involved (if two or more individuals are involved, note who initiates the activity and toward whom it is
directed); where the event is taking place (what part of the enclosure); what parts of the habitat are
involved; and approximately how long the event lasts.
If too much is happening too fast, don't panic. Zero in on one event at a time, and don't worry if
something else is happening at the other end of the enclosure. As you write your notes you will need to
refer to individual animals. The best method is to use a code, such as referring to the adult male as AM,
adult female as AF, infant female as IF and so on. If there are two adult females, you can refer to them as
AF1 and AF2.
C. After you have completed your observations, read your notes carefully. Are there any behavioral
patterns emerging? Are there certain sets of behaviors that appear to occur over and over? If so, carefully
note them.