Emotional Custody Battle Gets Hairy

Previously I've posted a number of stories about the custody battle for Emma and Jackson. They are two chimpanzees currently residing at Chimps Inc. in Bend, Oregon.

CBS Evening News recently did a broadcast about this situation. You can view it at CBS Evening News Broadcast.

I know the people who run Chimps Inc. I have the highest confidence that they are providing a loving and safe environment for all of their primate guests.

I encourage you to contact Chimps Inc. and make a donation to support their wonderful work.

"Saving two chimpanzees won't change the world, but it will change the world for those two chimpanzees."

Help Support an End to the Breeding of Chimpanzees for Research.

An organization called Project R&R, is collecting names on a petition to end the breeding of chimpanzees for research. If you want to add your signature, please click here.

The Chimpanzee Genome was completed in 2005. Scientists determined that there is less than a 2% difference between human and Chimpanzee DNA. We are genetically closer to chimpanzees that we are to Neanderthals.

This data provides a valid reason to rethink the use our furry cousins for medical research.

I welcome your comments (pro and con) on this issue.

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.

Court Battle Over "Primarily Primates Inc." in Texas

A court battle has been ragining in Texas over Primarily Primates Inc., a sanctuary for primates.

One side says that the animals there were being neglected and abused. The other side says that this is not true.

I leave it up to you, dear readers, to make up your own mind. Some sources for information are:

The Chicago Tribune. - "Refuge Became Prison"

PETA - "Hell on Earth for Animals"

Primarily Primates Inc. Press Page

Friends of Animals Commentary

Animal Liberation Front Commentary

Wikipedia Entry on Primarily Primates Inc.

San Antonio Express News Article on Primarily Primates

The latest news is a story in the Chicago Tribune, entitled Texas expected to end legal moves against animal sanctuary

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot is the person responsible for this decision. If you wish to express your feelings about this matter to him, he can be reached at: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Jeremy Bentham once said about animals: "The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?"

Chimps Lead Evolutionary Race

Nature Published online: 16 April 2007; doi:10.1038/446841a

Chimps Lead Evolutionary Race

More chimpanzee genes have been positively selected for than human ones.

Story by Michael Hopkin

Humans are generally believed to be more highly 'evolved' than our chimpanzee cousins. But in at least one sense that isn't true, say geneticists who have hunted for the hallmarks of natural selection in our respective genomes - and found more of them in chimps.

The discovery suggests that, since our evolutionary paths diverged 6 million years ago, greater numbers of chimpanzee genes have been shaped by 'positive selection', in which natural selection favours beneficial mutations.

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, combed through 14,000 matching genes from the human and chimpanzee genomes. As they report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, 233 chimp genes showed signs of having been shaped by positive selection (M. A. Bakewell, P. Shi and J. Zhang Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0701705104; 2007). The corresponding figure for our own genes was just 154.

The result overturns the view that, to promote humans to our current position as the dominant animal on the planet, we must have encountered considerable positive selection, says lead author Jianzhi Zhang. "We think we're very different from animals, with our large brain size and speech," he says.

The gene discrepancy might be due to the fact that, for much of our histories, chimpanzees had the larger population size. Humans, with a smaller and more fragmented population, may have been shaped by random, erratic changes.

It is possible that the genetic changes underlying brain size are very few. It is difficult to put together a coherent picture, says Zhang, because it is hard to know which genes would have been crucial in shaping traits such as our large brain size. "It is possible that the genetic changes underlying brain size are very few," he says.

A sample of 14,000 genes does not tell the whole story. The team could not compare the entire genome as the chimp sequence has not been completed to the same level of detail as the human one. But for genes with good sequences, they were taken to show signs of positive selection if they had a high proportion of 'non-synonymous mutations' — DNA changes that alter the protein sequence produced by the gene — which could be a 'lever' for natural selection.

Zhang admits it is difficult to spot genes that have been the subject of more recent positive selection. Such genes could have been responding to selection pressures — such as changes in climate and food source — encountered by humans as they began to move out of Africa and across the planet over the past 100,000 years.

There also seems to be little pattern to the functions of the selected genes, says Zhang. Among those favoured in chimps are genes for protein metabolism and stress responses, whereas the human genes are involved in processes such as fatty-acid metabolism.

Victoria Horner, who works with chimpanzees at Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, says: "We assume that chimpanzees have changed less than us, when that's actually not the case."

"Chimpanzee Politics" by Frans de Waal

If you believe that chimpanzee thought is much more limited than human reasoning, then this book will "rock your world".

Frans de Waal, the author of "Chimpanzee Politics", is one of the most respected primatologists in the world. Dr. de Waal is the C. H. Candler Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University, and Director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center.

"Chimpanzee Politics" was written in 1980, early in Dr. de Waal's research career. However the information that he presents is as relevant today as it was 27 years ago.

In this book, Frans details the power struggle among a group of chimpanzees that were living on an island at the Arnhem Zoo. This Zoo is located in the Netherlands. His data covers many years.

The story centers around the struggle for alpha male supremacy among a small group of males, which included Yeroen (the grizzled old veteran), Nikkie (the hot headed upstart), and Luit (the calculating politician). Each chimpanzee had a different method for seeking power. However they employed many similar techniques, that could be observed and predicted with a significant degree of certainty. Included were:

• When an alpha male was deposed, he would form an alliance with the other member of the triad who was not in power. This partnership would then seek to undermine the influence of the leader.

• The alpha male would seek support among the females. The "pretenders to the throne" would do the same. The females had a great deal of influence over who became the leader - and how long that leader stayed in power.

• Grooming was extremely important in resolving conflicts. Dr. de Waal's statistics showed that chimps who challenged the leader also groomed with that leader more frequently than at other times. Grooming appeared to be a way to reduce tension, and to re-establish an emotional bond among sparring chimps.

I was surprised by the complex group dynamics among these three chimps. Some campaign strategies took place over months, and involved a degree of planning and sophistication that I previously thought was limited only to humans. Many times, while I was reading this book, I felt like I was reading the chronicle of a U.S Presidential campaign. Machiavelli's book "The Prince" also came to mind.

The data collection methods of Dr. de Waal and his research team were scientifically sound, and rigorous in their execution. This gave me confidence that anthropomorphism did not have a significant role in the book's conclusions.

When I finished reading "Chimpanzee Politics", I had a great deal more respect for our closest animal cousins, and was inspired to find out more about chimpanzees. This book was also "a good read". The prose flowed smoothly, and was not overly inundated with technical jargon. As a result, I was able to finish the book in three days.

Whether you are a devoted follower of primate science or are simply interested in chimpanzees, I believe that you will find reading "Chimpanzee Politics" to be an enjoyable and educational experience.

Monkey Movie Review - "Shooter"

This afternoon, my wife, my sister, and I went to see "Shooter", Mark Wahlberg's new movie. I would describe it as - a guy movie - with intelligence.

The plot is smart, fast moving, and believeable, with enough twists and turns to make you feel like you are driving a Formula 1 racer at Le Mans. Mark Mancina's gripping sound track ratchets up the level of suspense even more.

Wahlberg plays Bobby Lee Swagger, an ex-Marine sniper, who is recruited by Colonel Issac Johnson (Danny Glover) for what Bobby thinks is a mission to prevent a Presidential assasination. He subsequently finds out that he has been set up as the fall guy for the assasination attempt. The story then winds through a number of chase scenes (as the government tries to capture Bobby) and counterattacks (as Bobby tries to clear his name, and take revenge on his tormentors). It's tough to tell the good guys from the bad guys in this movie, which increases the dramatic tension even more.

Danny Glover plays the consummate evil doer in an organization of shadowy government figures and hired thugs. He is so evil that you want to reach through the screen and strangle him as he carries out his dark missions and his persecution of Bobby Lee. That's the sign of a really good performance, when an actor can make you hate his character so much.

A suspense story wouldn't be complete without "the girl". In this flick she is Sarah Fenn, who is played by Kate Mara. Kate's simple beauty is hypnotizing, and her performance - as the widow of Bobby Lee's Marine sniper partner - is dynamic. Kate's character displays a vulnerability that makes her beauty even more compelling. Sarah helps Bobby Lee to recover from his injuries after the bad guys attempt to kill him following the assasination attempt. She figures centrally in the story from that point on. Kate also played the role of Alma Jr. (age 19) in Brokeback Mountain.

Michael Pena contributes an vigorous performance as FBI agent Nick Memphis, who inadvertantly becomes Bobby Lee's partner, after he recognizes that the official government story of the assasination attempt is "shot full of holes". Michael also played the unforgettable role of Daniel, the locksmith, in "Crash". His daughter "saving" him in the shooting scene is one of my all time favorite movie moments!

"Shooter" was directed by Antoine Fuqua. His transformation of Stephen Hunter's novel "Point of Impact" into this movie is masterful. He also directed other thrillers - "Training Day" with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, and "Tears of the Sun" with Bruce Willis. It is obvious that Antoine has learned well how to create a cinematic experience that is visually compelling with a riveting plot.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this movie was the cinematography, which was directed by Peter Menzies Jr. There are many breathtaking panoramic shots of snow covered mountains as well as cityscapes that give this movie a grand sense of scale.

"Shooter" also contains some of the best napalm blasts that I have ever seen. That - combined with some terrific helicopter explosions - runs the needle off the end of The Guy Movie Scale.

Although this is definitely a Guy Movie, there is something for the ladies as well. In one scene, Mark Wahlberg takes his shirt off to tend to his gunshot wounds. His well muscled torso had my wife and sister drooling in their seats.

From a primate perspective, this is definitely a guy chimpanzee movie. Violent behavior is not uncommon in chimp groups, especially among the males. I am certain that Bobby Lee's attemps to unseat the alpha male (Colonel Johnson) of the shadow government organization would appeal to the Young Turks in chimpanzee societies.

Summary: I give "Shooter" 4 bananas for excitement, story line, and compelling imagery.

NOTE: The Monkey Prose Movie Scale goes from no bananas (It sucks.) to 5 bananas (It is one the best movies in human history!)

Pictures of Emma and Jackson in Their New Home at Chimps Incorporated!

Here are Emma (left) and Jackson (right) in their new home at Chimps Incorporated, which is located in Bend, Oregon. Both chimps appear to be adjusting well to their new environment and the resident chimps are expressing interest in them.

Emma and Jackson can now look forward to a wonderful life in a loving and supportive environment!

No Chimp Left Behind - Emma and Jackson Arrive at Their New Home!

Emma and Jackson, the two chimpanzees rescued by Chimps Incorporated, have arrived at their new home in Bend, Oregon!

They are healthy and seem to be adapting well to their new home. You can see a local newscast of their arrival at:

www.ktvz.com – just click on VIDEO ON DEMAND - VIDEO ARCHIVE/SEARCH (in the middle right of the page). Then, when the next screen comes up, type “chimp” in the search box. You can then click on the video title and watch the video. (Sorry about the commercial, I couldn't figure out how to eliminate it.)

These are two very lucky chimps, because they will now be living in a supportive and loving environment. They will also be able to interact with other chimpanzees. If you are a chimp, it doesn't get much better than that!

It costs Chimps Incorporated $14,000 per month to feed, house, and care for their chimps. You can help to support them at Chimps Incorporated Donations.

Your contribution will be very much appreciated! Please mention Monkey Prose if you do.

Chimps Observed Creating and Using Spears for Hunting

Two articles appeared recently in online publications that described spear creation and use by chimpanzees.

One article, written by Carrie McLaren, appeared in Monkeywire (a monkey news blog).

The other article, written by William Saletan, appeared in Slate Magazine.

The articles describe the same discovery - that chimps in the Fongoli area of south-east Senegal have been breaking off branches, sharpening them into points with their teeth, and then using them to kill and eat bushbabies, which are small primates.

These activities involve advanced mental processes that were previously thought to be found only in humans.