Primates are defined as the animals that belong to the class of mammals.  Primates include humans and non humans. Non human primates that humans are most closely related to are chimpanzees and gorillas.  There are two groups that make up primates, prosimians which are primitive primates and anthropoids which are considered the higher primates. Prosimians have ancestral traits rather than the derived traits that are associated with anthropoids. Prosimians tend to have smaller body and brain size, while anthropoids have not only larger body sizes, but a bigger, and in turn, more complex brain. Anthropoids include monkeys and hominoids, which include humans and apes. The complexity of an anthropoid brain gives humans and apes the ability to experience a larger variety of behaviors. What I found particularly interesting was the way in which primates rely mainly on learned behavior in order to survive. The psychologist, Harry Harlow, conducted a series of experiments that proved primates can not survive on “preprogrammed” behavior, they must learn everything in order to survive. Harlow placed baby monkeys in a cage with a wire mother that gave milk and a cloth mother that gave comfort. Harlow found that the baby monkeys always chose the cloth mother over the wire mother. This told him that an emotional bond does exist between primate babies and their mother. The monkeys that were raised without mothers were unable to properly act and survive as monkeys in the real world. These monkeys could not bond or mate with the other monkeys. Harlow then impregnated them and soon found the monkeys were unable to care for or raise children. These monkeys never spent time with their mothers, and therefore they never learned the things that are necessary to successfully survive and grow into a self sufficient adult. Similarly if a human baby was raised in isolation without a mother’s care, the baby would not be able to survive.   I found the similarities between primates and non human primates to be incredibly fascinating. For example, non-human primates need socialization, in order to properly develop, just as humans do. It is necessary for non-human primates and humans to be immersed in social groups so that they can grow up and acquire proper socialization skills. Another similarity between human and non-human primates is their ability to communicate vocally and through symbols. Although the human language, both verbal and sign, is much more complex, non-human primates like chimps and gorillas still use vocal sounds and symbols to communicate.   

     Chimpanzees’ DNA is 98.5% similar to that of humans.  The fact that humans and chimpanzees share so much of their DNA, would lead us to believe that we can use chimps to provide us with information about human evolution.  Non-human primates and humans also share many biological and physical features. Both human and non- human primates have grasping hands, sensitive fingertips, binocular stereoscopic vision, color vision, and both rely on learned behavior. Through these similarities it is apparent that we share a common evolutionary history.  We can use this shared history to learn about human evolution.