Manual deixis in apes and humans

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Leavens
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Intentional Communication ◽  
Evolutionary Scenario ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Definition Of

Pointing by apes is near-ubiquitous in captivity, yet rare in their natural habitats. This has implications for understanding both the ontogeny and heritability of pointing, conceived as a behavioral phenotype. The data suggest that the cognitive capacity for manual deixis was possessed by the last common ancestor of humans and the great apes. In this review, nonverbal reference is distinguished from symbolic reference. An operational definition of intentional communication is delineated, citing published or forthcoming examples for each of the defining criteria from studies of manual gestures in apes. Claims that chimpanzees do not point amongst themselves or do not gesture declaratively are refuted with published examples. Links between pointing and cognitive milestones in other domains relating means to ends are discussed. Finally, an evolutionary scenario of pointing as an adaptation to changes in hominid development is briefly sketched.

scholarly journals Spontaneous (minimal) ritual in non-human great apes?

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1805) ◽  
pp. 20190423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Tennie ◽  
Carel P. van Schaik
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Preliminary Finding ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Ritual Studies ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Future Work

The potential for rituals in non-human great apes (apes) is an understudied topic. We derive a minimal definition of ritual and then examine the currently available evidence for it in untrained and non-enculturated apes. First, we examine whether such apes show evidence for the two main components of our minimal definition of ritual: symbolism and copying. Second, we examine if there are actual cases already identifiable today that may fit all aspects of our minimal definition of ritual—or whether there are at least cases that fit some aspects (proto-ritual). We find that apes are not likely to spontaneously practise minimal ritual, but we claim that the highest expected likelihood of occurrence is in the results-copying domain. Yet, we did not find actual cases of minimal ritual in apes—including those involving environmental results. We did, however, find some cases that may match at least part of our minimal ritual definition—which we termed proto-ritual. At least two out of three potential cases of such proto-rituals that we identified (rain dance, object-in-ear and surplus nest-making procedures) do revolve around results. Overall, apes do not show much, or very clear, evidence for even minimal ritual, but may sometimes show proto-ritual. However, dedicated ape ritual studies are currently lacking, and future work may identify ape ritual (or clearer cases of proto-ritual). We discuss the implications of our preliminary finding for inferences of ritual in the last common ancestor of humans and apes. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Ritual renaissance: new insights into the most human of behaviours’.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence for yawn contagion in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evy van Berlo ◽  
Alejandra P. Díaz-Loyo ◽  
Oscar E. Juárez-Mora ◽  
Mariska E. Kret ◽  
Jorg J. M. Massen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Pongo Pygmaeus ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Contagious Yawning ◽  
Proximate Mechanism ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Ultimate Causation

AbstractYawning is highly contagious, yet both its proximate mechanism(s) and its ultimate causation remain poorly understood. Scholars have suggested a link between contagious yawning (CY) and sociality due to its appearance in mostly social species. Nevertheless, as findings are inconsistent, CY’s function and evolution remains heavily debated. One way to understand the evolution of CY is by studying it in hominids. Although CY has been found in chimpanzees and bonobos, but is absent in gorillas, data on orangutans are missing despite them being the least social hominid. Orangutans are thus interesting for understanding CY’s phylogeny. Here, we experimentally tested whether orangutans yawn contagiously in response to videos of conspecifics yawning. Furthermore, we investigated whether CY was affected by familiarity with the yawning individual (i.e. a familiar or unfamiliar conspecific and a 3D orangutan avatar). In 700 trials across 8 individuals, we found that orangutans are more likely to yawn in response to yawn videos compared to control videos of conspecifics, but not to yawn videos of the avatar. Interestingly, CY occurred regardless of whether a conspecific was familiar or unfamiliar. We conclude that CY was likely already present in the last common ancestor of humans and great apes, though more converging evidence is needed.

Cradle Under the Canopy The Forest Origins of our Ape and Hominin Ancestors and the Tropical Forest Forays of the Genus Homo

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
Pan Paniscus ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Ape ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Genus Homo ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Game Hunting ◽  
The Tropics

The evolutionary proximity of the non-human great apes to us is often stressed in studies of animals, such as Kanzi, a bonobo (Pan paniscus) bred in captivity, that demonstrate their capacity to undertake tool-use and even utilize and comprehend language (Toth et al., 1993; Savage-Rumbaugh and Lewin, 1996; Schick et al., 1999). Likewise, studies of chimpanzees (Pan spp.) have highlighted the similarity of their emotional and empathetic capacities to those of humans (Parr et al., 2005; Campbell and de Waal, 2014). However, as noted by Savage- Rumbaugh and Lewin (1996), in palaeoanthropology and archaeology more broadly, the emergence of the hominin clade and, later, our species, is referenced in terms of the ‘chasm’ between ourselves and other extant great apes. Indeed, despite our genetic and behavioural proximity, extant non-human great ape taxa are often popularly characterized as living fossils of how we used to be. They are used as analogues for the subsistence and behaviour of the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) of humans and non-human great apes (Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1977; Goodall, 1986; Foley and Lewin, 2004) and it is almost as if the fact that they still occupy the tropical environments in which these hominoids likely evolved (though see Elton, 2008) allows them to be treated as static comparisons (Figure 3.1). Since Darwin wrote the Descent of Man in 1871, the forests of the tropics, and their modern non-human great ape inhabitants, have tended to be perceived as being left behind as the hominin clade gained increasingly ‘human’ traits of tool-use, medium to large game hunting, and upright locomotion on open ‘savanna’ landscapes (Dart, 1925; Potts, 1998; Klein, 1999). From this perspective it is perhaps unsurprising that tropical forests are seen as alien to the genus Homo and its closest hominin ancestors.

scholarly journals Femoral ontogeny in humans and great apes and its implications for their last common ancestor

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Morimoto ◽  
Masato Nakatsukasa ◽  
Marcia S. Ponce de León ◽  
Christoph P. E. Zollikofer
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Last Common Ancestor

scholarly journals Reconstructing the ancestral phenotypes of great apes and humans (Homininae) using subspecies-level phylogenies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keaghan J Yaxley ◽  
Robert A Foley
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Great Ape ◽  
Subspecies Level ◽  
African Great Apes

Abstract Owing to their close affinity, the African great apes are of interest in the study of human evolution. Although numerous researchers have described the ancestors we share with these species with reference to extant great apes, few have done so with phylogenetic comparative methods. One obstacle to the application of these techniques is the within-species phenotypic variation found in this group. Here, we leverage this variation, modelling common ancestors using ancestral state reconstructions (ASRs) with reference to subspecies-level trait data. A subspecies-level phylogeny of the African great apes and humans was estimated from full-genome mitochondrial DNA sequences and used to implement ASRs for 14 continuous traits known to vary between great ape subspecies. Although the inclusion of within-species phenotypic variation increased the phylogenetic signal for our traits and improved the performance of our ASRs, whether this was done through the inclusion of subspecies phylogeny or through the use of existing methods made little difference. Our ASRs corroborate previous findings that the last common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees and bonobos was a chimp-like animal, but also suggest that the last common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas was an animal unlike any extant African great ape.

scholarly journals The comparative neuroprimatology 2018 (CNP-2018) road map for research on How the Brain Got Language

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 370-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Arbib ◽  
Francisco Aboitiz ◽  
Judith M. Burkart ◽  
Michael Corballis ◽  
Gino Coudé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Road Map ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Comparative Study ◽  
Brain Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Abstract We present a new road map for research on “How the Brain Got Language” that adopts an EvoDevoSocio perspective and highlights comparative neuroprimatology – the comparative study of brain, behavior and communication in extant monkeys and great apes – as providing a key grounding for hypotheses on the last common ancestor of humans and monkeys (LCA-m) and chimpanzees (LCA-c) and the processes which guided the evolution LCA-m → LCA-c → protohumans → H. sapiens. Such research constrains and is constrained by analysis of the subsequent, primarily cultural, evolution of H. sapiens which yielded cultures involving the rich use of language.

Discovering Human Nature Through Cross-Species Analysis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Cladistic Analysis ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
The Body ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Species Analysis ◽  
Organizational Patterns ◽  
Genetic Closeness ◽  
Source Of Information

Cladistic analysis is employed on behavioral and organizational patterns among present-day great apes that, because of their genetic closeness to humans, can be used as a surrogate for making inferences about the behavior and organizational propensities of the last common ancestor to great apes, hominins, and humans. A series of preadaptations among great apes for language, emotionality, mother–infant bonding, life history characteristics, propensities for play, and nonharem/promiscuous mating represents one source of information on the nature of the last common ancestor. Moreover, a set of behavioral propensities among all great apes adds to the body of information that can be used to make inferences about the nature of the last common ancestors, hominins, and humans. Thus, it is now possible to make inferences about the biological nature of human behavior and organizational tendencies that are less speculative than earlier analyses of human nature.

scholarly journals Animal innovation defined and operationalized

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Ramsey ◽  
Meredith L. Bastian ◽  
Carel van Schaik
Keyword(s):  
Social Role ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Dichotomous Key ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Operational Criteria ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Long Term Studies

AbstractInnovation is a key component of most definitions of culture and intelligence. Additionally, innovations may affect a species' ecology and evolution. Nonetheless, conceptual and empirical work on innovation has only recently begun. In particular, largely because the existing operational definition (first occurrence in a population) requires long-term studies of populations, there has been no systematic study of innovation in wild animals. To facilitate such study, we have produced a new definition of innovation: Innovation is the process that generates in an individual a novel learned behavior that is not simply a consequence of social learning or environmental induction. Using this definition, we propose a new operational approach for distinguishing innovations in the field. The operational criteria employ information from the following sources: (1) the behavior's geographic and local prevalence and individual frequency; (2) properties of the behavior, such as the social role of the behavior, the context in which the behavior is exhibited, and its similarity to other behaviors; (3) changes in the occurrence of the behavior over time; and (4) knowledge of spontaneous or experimentally induced behavior in captivity. These criteria do not require long-term studies at a single site, but information from multiple populations of a species will generally be needed. These criteria are systematized into a dichotomous key that can be used to assess whether a behavior observed in the field is likely to be an innovation.

scholarly journals 403 - Episodes of lucidity (paradoxical lucidity): A survey of family caregivers of persons with dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 30-30
Author(s):  
Joan M. Griffin ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Theresa Frangiosa ◽  
Virginia S. Biggar ◽  
Dawn M. Finnie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Scientific Explanation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Late Stages

Abstract:People with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) who are assumed to have lost coherent cognitive capacity may exhibit unexpected episodes of spontaneous, meaningful, and relevant communication or behavior. Most reports of paradoxical lucidity or “episodes of lucidity” (EL) are anecdotal or case studies. Given the transient nature and lack of scientific explanation of the phenomenon, EL is under-investigated and poorly understood.To develop an operational definition of and typologies for EL, we conducted a pilot study of former and current family caregivers from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST® (N = 480). Over sixty percent of caregivers (n = 294, 61%) reported witnessing at least one EL with their care recipient over the course of dementia. Most episodes happened in late stages of dementia (71%). Only 10% happened within 7 days before death. The majority of episodes (71%) lasted <30 minutes. About half the episodes were characterized by uncharacteristic speech and communication. Caregivers perceived these experiences positively (M = 4.1; range = 1–5), but also expressed desire to know why/when EL occurs and how to respond to it.We plan to use these data to refine definitions and typologies to incorporate into a prospective, demographically diverse survey to family caregivers to assess predictors of EL and linking EL to caregiver well-being and bereavement response. Precise and robust operationalizations of EL will allow future research to assess if EL has different effects on ADRD prognosis or alters how family members understand, manage and adapt to a PLWD’s dementia progression.

scholarly journals Do chimpanzees like alcohol?

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-75
Author(s):  
Ruth Maria Thomsen ◽  
Anja Zschoke
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Genetic Mutation ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Food Scarcity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
First Time ◽  
Apple Puree ◽  
Feeding Behaviours ◽  
Apple Purée

In the last common ancestor of modern humans and the three living African ape species a genetic mutation occurred that increased the rate that alcohol was metabolized. This fact initially supports the "drunken monkey hypothesis" which states that natural selection should have favoured individuals that routinely incorporated alcohol- and thus energy-rich fruits into their diet. However, random observations from apes living in the wild do not provide evidence for such kind of choosey feeding behaviours. To investigate whether or not the living great apes have evolved a preference of alcohol-rich fruits over normal ripe fruits we performed a bioassay with captive chimpanzees offering them apple puree with and without rum flavour. Initially, the chimpanzees were curious about the alcohol-flavoured apple puree and feed on it when it was presented to them for the very first time. Once tasted, however, they lost interest in it indicating that chimpanzees are able to perceive, but do not prefer alcohol-rich fruits more than non-alcoholic fruits. Thus, we think that for our hominoid ancestors from the late Miocene the possibility to consume alcohol-rich fruits was helpful to survive periods of food scarcity, but did not lead to a genetic predisposition for alcohol.

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