Among Chimps and Bonobos, the Hand Often Does the Talking

Chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans share a common use of gestures to enhance their communication. This implies that this trait is genetic and not cultural.

You can read this story at The New York Times.

Monkey Movie Review - "Music and Lyrics"

Today I am starting a new feature - Monkey Movie Review, which will incorporate a primate's perspective into film critiques. My first review is the recent release "Music and Lyrics" starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.

"M&L" was directed by Marc Lawrence, who also directed a number of Sandra Bullock movies. Included were Two Week's Notice - which also starred Hugh Grant. I've never heard Marc say anything bad about monkeys, so Props to The Marc-meister for that!

This film is the story of Alex Fletcher, a washed up 80's pop star (Grant) who gets involved with Sophie Fisher (Barrymore), a girl who starts out watering his houseplants, but winds up growing love and new life in his heart.


There are two obstacles that this film has to overcome, and it succeeeds admirably.

First there is a considerable age difference between Grant and Barrymore - I am guessing at least 10 years. However they make us believe the romance because Grant has a boyish charm that takes years off of his screen persona, while Drew's compelling performance makes us believe that she has a depth and maturity that exceeds her chronological age.

Second there is the issue of music that is created for fictional performers. In many cases, it . . . well, sucks! Good examples would be the rock songs that the kids perform on "Saved By the Bell" and "Full House". It is so bad that often, I see monkeys sticking bananas in their ears just to lessen the pain! However, in "Music and Lyrics", there are two songs that break this mold - Pop Goes My Heart (a catchy 80's pop tune) and Way Back Into Love (a poignant ballad about searching for love). Both songs, written by Adam Schlesinger, could be chart climbers on their own, even if they weren't part of the soundtrack.

The story line "somewhat" follows the Nora Ephron romantic comedy format, but in many ways breaks new ground with unexpected plot turns. For example, in one scene, you think that Sophie has abandoned their musical partnership at a critical time - only to find out that she saves Alex's career by a last minute decision. This came as a surprise to the audience.

Brad Garrett contributes a believeable performance as Chris Riley, Alex Fletcher's agent. He successfully breaks out of the "Raymond's brother" mold and creates a likeable, quirky character who seems like the kind of person who would be managing an over the hill pop singer.

All in all, I liked this movie very much! I thought that the quality of "Music and Lyrics" was well above the pap that Hollywood is churning out these days. Both Hugh Grant's and Drew Barrymore's performances were powerful and enjoyable. This is one of the few movies that I would go and see again!

From a primate perspective, I think that bonobos will enjoy this movie more than chimpanzees. Bonobos have a much gentler nature. They are a matriarchal society (women rule) and they solve conflicts by having sex rather than fighting. Romantic comedies are their forte.

Chimps, on the other hand, tend to be more violent. They prefer action films like Mission Impossible, with helicopters getting blown up, and dozens of charred soldiers being tossed skyward by huge explosions.

Bottom line - an Opposable Thumbs Up for "Music and Lyrics"!

How Do Monkeys Celebrate Valentine's Day?

How do monkeys celebrate Valentine's Day? It's a question that philosophers have asked for a long time. In the last 50 years, primatologists have devoted a great deal of effort to answering this important question. Here are some of their findings:

Bonobos have a marked preference for full bodied red wines and chocolate. A recent Congo survey reveals that Forest Glen Merlot (Vintage 2004) and Cadbury Dark Chocolate far surpass other bonobo choices. Bongo Bongo, spokesperson for the Bonobo Consumers Union, commented "Forest Glen Merlot has a wonderful blend of grape, leather, and raspberry that teases the palate while still leaving something to the imagination. All in all, I think that you will find it to be an amusing little vintage, and you will be charmed by its presumption!"

Chimpanzees, on the other hand, lean towards a more earthy, powerful liquor. This appears to mirror their more aggressive nature. Twelve year old single malt scotch is by far the preferred choice in libations for our furry cousins. Cheetette, the granddaughter of Cheeta (the star of Tarzan movies) commented "Scotch is an In Your Face kind of liquor. You don't need to pussyfoot around the flavor or the powerful kick that Scotch has on your perceptions. It gets you to 'The Buzz Zone' quickly and without any pretense. Also, you don't get a hangover with Scotch - as long as you don't drink too much!"

Capuchin Monkeys have a marked preference for 30's and 40's old standards (like "Stardust" and "The Memory of You") along with with a passion for Grappa, the Italian aperitif. Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael are much admired at Capuchin Valentines Day celebrations.

No matter how you celebrate it, I think that the message of Valentine's Day is to find your Prime-Mate and to tell them how much they mean to you!

The Chimpanzee Stone Age

The Chimpanzee Stone Age is an article was recently posted on Science Blog. I was informed about this story by Monkeywire, an excellent source for news about primates.

This article describes how scientists have discovered 4,300 year old stone tools, that were used by chimpanzees. The chimpanzees used these tools to crack open nuts.

The implication is that stone tool usage may not have been limited to humans. It may have co-developed with apes as well. Such a revelation brings us closer to our primate cousins, both in terms of behavior and evolution.

In the NOVA program - The Last Great Ape - which appeared on PBS Television on 2-13-07, Primatologist Frans de Waal discusses our closest biological relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos. He calls them "time machines" because they allow us to look at our species at a much earlier stage of development. Such a study lets us discover aspects of human behavior, thinking, and social interaction that may be more biologically "hard wired" than was previously believed.

The end result may be that by studying chimpanzees and bonobos, we can develop a deeper understanding of who we are as humans.

NOVA TV Program - The Last Great Ape

On Tuesday February 13, 2007 at 8:00 PM eastern time, public television stations will broadcast a NOVA program entitled The Last Great Ape. This program will feature the Bonobo, which is also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee. A Congo expedition examines the life of these gentle creatures, who often settle disputes by having sex rather than fighting. Listed below is an excerp from the Nova website:

"Bonobos help us to see ourselves more in the round," says Frans de Waal, a primatologist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. In particular, he says, we can learn as much about human evolution and behavior by studying the sensitive, peace-loving bonobo as by studying the more violent chimpanzee—both of which share more than 98 percent of our DNA. In this interview, de Waal explains what the ape he calls the "make-love-not-war" primate can teach us about who we are—and why, for this reason alone, it's vital to protect this highly endangered close relative of ours.

You can read the complete interview with Frans deWaal at Frans de Waal - Nova Interview. Dr. de Waal has written a number of fascinating books, including Chimpanzee Politics and Our Inner Ape. Note: I only list these Amazon.com websites for the readers' convenience. I am not compensated by Amazon.com for providing this information.

I am certain that this will be a compelling program. After watching it, I invite viewers to send your comments to Monkey Prose.

Bonobos

Bonobos A compelling statement against war. This is one of the best mixed media videos that I have seen! I encourage you to comment on it. The person who put this video on YouTube is Desheik. By the way, a bonobo is a type of chimpanzee.