Essays on Bonobos

The psychology, history, and nature are in continuous change, and it is necessary to understand the approach that our hunter-gatherer ancestors had in past. It can be said that “A brief history of Humankind” is the best way to get into the past. In one of its chapter, there is a strong statement that summarizes many things in one line, and that is “our brain and minds were adapted to a life of hunting and gathering.” Many psychologists believe that present day social and psychological characteristics are designed after a long pre-agricultural era. And thus, today the way the ...

Introduction

Even though the concept of evolution is a typical narrative, it remains one of the most highly contentious of the topics. Major disagreements persist in the field, particularly when the evolutionary origin and physical modification of primates are the subject matter of discussion. Because of these differences, lots of significant finds in the field have attracted considerable amounts of opposition from experts depending on the species, or the side angle of evolution one recognizes (Ravosa and Dagosto). Disputes often center around locomotion and posture – whether a particular species was fully upright or could walk bipedally, brain size (intelligence), sexuality ...

Article Review

New additional clues have been discovered that reignites the proposed relationship between human beings and their closest relatives, the apes (Popular Archaeology 2013). Researchers, Frans de Waal, PhD and Zanna Clay, PhD both from the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center Emory University have postulated the theory supporting the linkage. From their recent study of the bonobo primates in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a sanctuary near Kinshasa, striking similarities between the emotional development of the bonobos and children were observed. From the results of the study, it became evident that the great apes had a ...

The Bonobos are rare species of monkeys that are only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their total population is estimated to be 10,000. Their specific habitat are; between the Congo and the Lomami rivers, between the Kasai and Sankuru rivers, and the Lake Tumba region. These areas represent the Congo basin, a region that is known to be the second largest rainforest globally. Their habitat can be approximated to be an area of 500000 square Kilometers. The Bonobos monkeys are relatively similar to human kind. They share more than 98% of the humans DNA. More ...

Introduction

Genetic and physical similarities demonstrate that modern human species that is, Homo sapiens has a close association to other primate species group called apes. Evidence has shown that humans and great apes of Africa that is, gorillas and chimpanzees including bonobos or pygmy chimpanzees share common ancestor, which lived sometime between 6 million and 8 million years ago. Bonobos are found in Central Africa. It is interesting to note that the two species vary morphologically. Bonobos are characterized by shorter upper limbs, less rugged builds, and longer lower limbs than the chimpanzees and sport a distinguishing coiffure (Lavenda and Schultz 2012, ...

Introduction

Policy makers and the general public have been at pains to answer the questions they are confronted with about the intricacies of lesbians and gay men. Questions are abound ranging from whether they are mentally ill to whether the much publicized conversion therapies result to a change in orientation. Questions have also been asked about their stereotyped propensity to molest children. Such scathing thoughts and remarks are fed by stereotypic cultural undertones that many a times depict gay men and lesbians as criminals, immoral, sick and every description that falls short of what our society considers ‘normal’. The implicated individuals have ...