The Semantics of Vervet Monkey Alarm Calls: Part I

Anti-predatory alarm calls are important for social animals to alert others of approaching predators. Without the presence of "language", some non-human primates are known to give out different predator-specific alarm calls to alert conspecific. These non-human primates include ring-tailed lemurs (Zuberbühler et al., 1999), white-faced capuchin monkeys (Fichtel et al., 2005), Diana monkeys (Zuberbühler, 1999), Campbell's monkeys... Continue Reading →

March 9, 2011

When It Comes To Being The “Missing Link”, Ida — You Are NOT The Candidate

Main slab of Darwinius masillae (specimen PMO 214.214), new genus and species, from Messel in Germany. Photo from Wikipedia. Ida or "Aunt Ida" as many might recall from this summer of craziness sent shock waves around the nation as it was herald the missing link between prosimians and anthropoids (primates and human). Deserving of its... Continue Reading →

October 21, 2009

Two Rare Primates From China and Vietnam Given a Second Chance

Two new protected areas were designated in China and Vietnam recently to protect two of the world's most endangered primates by Fauna and Flora International (FFI). The Tonkin snub nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus), found only in Vietnam, numbers about only 200 individuals in the wild while the eastern black crested gibbon or cao vit gibbon... Continue Reading →

September 27, 2009

When Is A Monkey Really A Monkey?

A little boy pressed his nose on the glass where a Western Lowland Gorilla is interacting with the zoo-goers. He turns around to his parents with a big smile. “Oh look, the monkey wants to kiss you”, said his mother. At the lemur exhibit, a girl asks her parents what those black and white primates... Continue Reading →

September 24, 2009

A Massive Population Of Gorillas In The Congo Discovered, But 48% Of Primates Are At Risk Of Extinction

I have some bittersweet news to share with you. If you're a regular reader of this site, you may know that gorilla populations have been reported as severely endangered. Most of the problems stem from deforestation and poverty. People chop down trees in Africa and ultimately ruin the ecosystems that support these great apes for... Continue Reading →

August 6, 2008