Biological anthropology aims to understand how humans, and in some cases other living things, vary within their species or between other groups. Primatology is able to advance this study by looking at various primates and drawing comparisons and study differences between them and humans.

I began my search into this topic by exploring the American Society of Primatologists website, https://www.asp.org/index.cfm, which became a great springboard for information within this field. The site allows users to access a monthly publication, provided by the American Journal of Primatology, which reports out the recent research and responses to such work done by the society. It also has an interesting question and answer section which, coupled with bits of info from the most recent publication, was where I was able to find the bulk of my information.

As mentioned in the first lecture, primatology is a way for anthropologists to learn about nature through our closest living relative – primates. These anthropologists do their work out in the field or in labs, examining the way that primates interact with each other and their environment(s). One thing that closely ties humans and primates together is neurofunction. Scans of the primates’ brains, like the ones taken by the American Society of Primatologists, can help anthropologists understand the human brain, specifically how it works. Looking at the ‘how’ can then lead us to the ‘why’ – things such as why humans perform certain actions and why the brain reacts differently when put in different situations, leading to a new point of study with each discovery. Culture is created through the interactions between humans and their behavior so being able to see how such connections correlate to brain activity can provide a unique perspective to anthropology. In addition to brain function, primates and humans are similar in brain organization. For example, the Society points out that the area of the brain that allows for sight in primates serves as an excellent model for the human visual system. 

There is something to be said about having other creatures so closely related to us. Biological anthropology looks at things like evolution and adaptation, and while it is fascinating to observe how closely primates and humans are related, it’s also interesting that we have also followed slightly different evolutionary paths and have each adapted to and created different environments. Neither path is the “wrong” or the “right” one, as both creatures exist in their own right and own ways, which creates diversity within and outside of humans and primates. Despite this, though – and I truly might be reaching too far with this – this study could eventually allow us to see where our evolutionary paths cross and perhaps where we’re at today is where primates could be down the road. Biological anthropology and the study of primates allow us to glean a closer and better understanding of the diversity, and the lack thereof, amongst humans. Without primatology, it would be harder to understand the uniqueness of human behavior and that of primates.

Source: https://www.asp.org/research/faqs/faq.cfm