Based on what I have learned, the primates are intelligent animals. For instance, the chimpanzees and other apes are intelligent because they can learn words, play with each other, play with objects, and they even mourn their friends' death. As compared to humans, psychological abilities vary from one animal to the other. Half of the intelligence that primates have come from their genes. The environmental factors contribute the rest of the intelligence in primates. On the other hand, the human intelligence and development are based on cultural factors such as formal education (Matsuzawa). From the study in human beings and primates, it is evident that 50% of acquired intelligence is heritable. Hence, humans have high intelligence as compared to primates. Human defines intelligence as the ability to gain knowledge and to have the ability to understand nature and interact with it. The behaviors we can use to assess an animal include the ability to learn from humans, to interact with other humans and animals, to hunt and to eat food, and to play with objects. Other behaviors include the ability to reproduce and to react and respond to sound. Another behavior that proves primate intelligence is their ability to interrupt humans.
What I find surprising about primates is their ability to transmit diseases to humans. Since primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees are related to humans, humans should be careful when handling some of the primates. Another interesting thing about primates is that their infants are given vaccines just like human babies. For instance, infant chimpanzees and gorillas are given rabies and tetanus vaccinations (Matsuzawa). Another distinct fact about primates is that they are categorized into wet-nosed primates and dry-nosed primates. The wet-nosed primates are known to be more intelligent as compared to dry-nosed primates. The largest living primates is a gorilla, which weighs over 550 pounds while the smallest living primate is known as a Berthe’s mouse lemur, which weighs 1.1 ounces and its length is 3.5 inches.
Works Cited
Matsuzawa, Tetsurō. Primate Origins of Human Cognition and Behavior. 2008. Tokyo : Springer. Web.
