Good Example Of Chipanzee Culture Essay

According to Whiten et al., empirical research as it relates to chimpanzee culture incorporates differing insights and discernment. It is particularly because different behaviour patterns that include grooming, courtship behaviours, and tool use have been established to be customary in some chimpanzee communities. And absent in some communities (Whiten et al. 1999:682). Based on the research findings incorporated in an article by Whiten et al., it is of utmost importance to denote that chimpanzees have some cultural traits that in essence make it apparent that they have a culture. The findings incorporated in the aforementioned article establish that: chimpanzees differ in culture. It is particularly because of their habitat, based on this line of thought, chimpanzees of a particular community depict a certain cultural trait outstanding the fact that they imitate each other. The authors of this article further emphasize that behavioural patterns as shown by chimpanzees are immaterially determined by social learning process (Whiten et al., 1999: 685). In addition to the above, the behavioural patterns in chimpanzees are predominantly, fostered by stimulus enhancement. Whiten et al., further emphasizes that chimpanzees have rich and sophisticated behavioural complexity (Whiten et al., 1999:685).
According to Joseph and Claudio, it is imperative to denote that debate on chimpanzee culture is and has been a huge issue of concern. Predominantly because people hold differing interpretations and perceptions regarding the behavioural patterns exhibited by chimpanzees (Joseph and Claudio 2009: n.p). By focussing on two differing change groups, Joseph and Claudio in their article established that the two groups of chimpanzees differed in the way they extracted their honey. While one group dug shallow holes and extracted their honey using fingers and tools made of leaves, the other group dug deep holes and extracted their honey using sticks (Joseph and Claudio 2009: n.p). This example in particular was imperative to the study done because a clear connection between these behavioural patterns and other behaviours as shown by these two groups concurred. The results incorporated in the findings stirred the need to establish a genetic and environmental explanation in regards to the same. Fundamentally, though some may argue that these findings have no prove of culture existence among the chimpanzees, it is significant to establish the notion that cultural knowledge do exist (Joseph and Claudio 2009: n.p).
According to Kevin and William, from the article entitled do Animals Have Culture? It is apparent that people have differing views when it comes to establishing whether animals have culture or not. In this article, Kevin and William establish that most people are inclined to believe that primates have culture irrespective of the fact that some scientific evidence proves otherwise. Based on the above, scientists argue that people’s perception in regards to chimpanzee culture have little to do with the definition of culture. In addition to the above, it is established in the article that here exist limited evidence that traits that include food washing spread through Imo’s troop through the process of imitation. Or rather any other form of learning. In a bid to emphasize the fact that chimpanzee have no apparent culture, the author’s established that strong evidence for primate culture is absent. Unlike the strong evidence that that animals like birds and fish have a clearly established culture (Kevin and William, 2003:156).