Through my previous education being taught in a Catholic school environment, I was not so familiar with the concept of evolution and what information we have grabbed over the years by studying non-human primates. By picking up bits of information here and there through articles, documentaries, and word-of-mouth, I have been aware of the genetic similarities humans and non-human primates share and have developed a particular interest to this concept. I have found the most compelling information from the lectures we were presented this week, as you will find throughout my blog post.

Overall, it was strange to listen about humans beings explained as if we are some scientific experiment. But it does make sense how anthropologists have to dissect our genes and think about us as just higher ranked mammals on this earth, living alongside our non-human primates and the rest of the world’s species. Finding clarity in connecting how we live our developed lives now to the lives of our ancestors has been fascinating to learn from. It was particularly interesting to learn about the reasoning behind colored vision, and why we, as humans, have developed such a unique characteristic; I just figured we had gotten lucky! Our ancestors developed evolutionary adaptations while living in the trees, using their colored vision to survive in jungles and forests, detecting darker and lighter spaces created by the sun in a more effective way. I’ve really enjoyed learning about our binocular stereoscopic vision as well as the gift to see color, as it has been so beneficial to our chance of survival and rate of evolution. This causes me to feel more appreciative of how we are made.

From this lecture, I also love that it talked about our behavioral similarities, while also emphasizing our differences between other species that have not developed at the same rate due to biological and genetic makeup. Primates rely more extensively than other mammals on learned behaviors, therefore, we spend a longer time growing up to maturity and require more care from our parents. We fall under the K-selected group where we prefer quality over quantity. Other biological characteristics that separate us from other species and that we can find in common with non-human primates are mammary glands, placenta, homeotherms, and heterodonts. Mammals also have a larger cerebrum, and although our brains may be based off of a similar structure, they differ in size, relative proportions, and functions in a major way.

I particularly enjoyed reading about experiments on comparing human and non-human behaviors such as the Harry Harlow primate study. From this study, we have learned that bond is not just based off of the infant’s need for food because social aspects of bond are also critical. One is able to relate the lack of infant care to the behaviors of a mature monkey, as one can assume with humans as well. I have heard of these studies with human infant babies to study human behavior, but to hear about the same studies done with infant monkeys is a whole new lead to gaining more information about our own biology, behavior, and culture and how we relate more than we think to our non-human primates.