What is the purpose served by the study of primates?
Behaviour doesn’t fossilise. The behaviour of chimpanzees gives us clues to human behaviour in the early ages. It gives us a precious hint as to how humans evolved emotionally, spiritually and in intelligence. The study of primates is fascinating for the sheer reason that chimpanzees resemble us. Biologically, their immune system and brain structure mirror ours. Though speech and vocalisation is absent in chimpanzees, they are capable of learning most signs deaf people do. Research on chimpanzees has blurred the lines between the animal kingdom and humans. Their study can bring us closer to nature.
In what other ways do chimpanzees resemble humans?
They have a life expectancy of almost 60 years. That ensures prolonged social interaction within the group. Chimpanzees also have enduring bonds between family members very much like humans do. The infant chimpanzee is dependent on its mother for a long period, comparable to that of humans. Chimpanzees, though they do not speak language as humans do, use sophisticated communication, especially during hunting expeditions. They are also known to use non-verbal communication such as kissing, hugging and patting one another.
Are you saying chimpanzees are intelligent?
Chimpanzees have an amazing memory that can be seen from the number of signs they can memorise. Not only can they memorise signs and symbols, they can use them to communicate. Chimpanzees can also plan for the future, an ability of a higher order. Besides this, they can transfer sense from one sensory mode to another.
Do chimpanzees show emotions?
Chimpanzees show emotions similar to humans such as happiness, fear, revenge, sadness, despair. They also have a dark side to their behaviour. They are capable of extremely brutal behaviour. Their groups have a rigidly ordered hierarchy and male dominance is obvious in interaction.
Are chimpanzees spiritually inclined?
Chimpanzees show ‘pure altruism’; they are known to help chimpanzees who are not family members. Chimpanzees display a sense of wonder and awe when they come across a waterfall...they break into a dance...they sway on the vines like pendulums to enjoy the spray of the waterfall. Even when it starts to rain, chimps break into an elemental display that suggests a sense of religion. These elemental displays of wonder and awe are an unadulterated sense of spirituality. The primitive religions worship the ‘awe-and-fear-inspiring wonders of nature’ such as the sun and lightning; chimps react similarly to the wonders of nature.
Do these ‘elemental displays’ mean chimpanzees are spiritual?
It is the ability to speak a language that makes humans different from chimps. With language, it is possible to teach young ones, talk about yesterday and plan for tomorrow. Chimpanzees cannot discuss an idea because they don’t speak a language. Ideas grow when they are discussed. If chimpanzees had a language, might not this feeling of wonder and awe have grown into some animistic religion? I think, yes. Maybe they have a truer and purer spirituality than we have.
