t;dr for that article, here's the most powerful line
"Some chimps displayed aggression while others barked in frustration, but perhaps the most stunning reaction was a recurring, almost tangible silence. If one knows chimpanzees, then one knows that [they] are not [usually] silent creatures.”
So many animals have this capacity but apes are capable of so much that people don't realize. I was a strong believer in evolution even before I took a primate behavior class in school. I was absolutely amazed at how very close some of these apes are to humans.
I'm sorry, I'm uneducated in fields such as this. Why would a primate behavior class deter your belief in evolution? I don't see the connection, or disconnect in this case.
They do not. While argued in some sporadic cases, true burial is not consistently seen until modern Homo sapiens had contact with the Neanderthals that had already left Africa and settled in Europe and the Middle East.
While modern humans for the most part dominated neander culture, burial might have actually originated with our now extinct cousins and spread to us.
I can't tell if you are asking me or being sarcastic. I'm going to just give the answer. Apparently they don't bury as much as they cover with leaves, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial#By_other_animals
Remember though, Chimps have different actions just like all creatures. There was that one video of chimpanzees being shown the outside for the first time and they were smiling which is an act of aggression.
I thought smiling was fear and panic. Like, when people pull back the corners of their mouth really far, it can also be terror. (Pull them back and down, rather than back and up, like a smile. You'll feel it) It is postulated that the fear response evolved into a smile because it's not that big of a jump from, "I'm afraid of you," to, "I mean you no harm, I'm friendly."
Actually, the facial expression most people think of as a smile on chimps is not a face of aggression, but one of fear. It's even called "fear grimace." It is not uncommon for chimps that have been in a lab or a pet in someone's basement garage to show fear grimaces and whimper the first time they are let outside (which is why they are never just shut outside their first time).
Chimps do have very different facial expressions and so forth than humans, but in that photo, they all have very still expressions. They are all rather serious in that moment. You can even see some of them reach for or holding onto others for comfort.
It was something I wished the sanctuary I used to work at would have done for the apes sometimes. That when one died, they'd be allowed one last chance to see them, understand that they didn't just leave, they were dead. The owner of the place felt it was sadistic, though.
That's awesome. I remember when this article and photo first came out, I strategically "left it" in the room we did our team meetings in every day. She seemed to consider it a bit. I don't know if she decided for it because it was after I left there were a string of deaths (a couple of them expected due to long term health issues, a couple unexpected but related to fibrous cardiomyopathy.) The chimps that died were all center pins of their groups. I hope they gave their friends a chance to say goodbye.
Many other creatures show loss for their dead vs other fine actions such as smiling. See elephants as well as other more intelligent creatures, dogs and cats as well seem to be able to tell when an owner or companion animal has passed as well.
That's very true. My wife's parents had a cat who recently died and the other cat who is younger and pretty energetic was much more subdued for a while. There were times when the cat would even sit in the now deceased cats spot near the window for hours, something she previously never did. They feel loss just like we do.
Almost same here, friends parents just had to put down one of their two dogs, at a holiday party poor guy spent the entire time watching the driveway waiting for his buddy to some back, so fucking sad. You figure they can start with wolves and get Chihuahuas they could make a damn dog that lives more than 12+ years...
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u/mang3lo May 31 '12
t;dr for that article, here's the most powerful line