I am going off my usual type of writing to share a passion I have. Currently, I am studying biological anthropology  which ignites deep excitement within to learn more, seek answers, and continue my own quest in academia. The exploration of scientific avenues to discover how we got to here, from there, is vitally important to me.  I not only want to write on this subject, but I want to understand genetics, behavioral patterns, evolutionary science and human/primate morphology. This is heady stuff, the evolution of our species.

The search for answers to our human beginnings and how we evolved to this place in the history of our globe is fundamental to human nature. Seeking relevance with each new scientific discovery, a path is created for those answers. The quest to name our ancestors and define how they survived, coped and evolved, continues to motivate researchers. These answers could change our understanding of human medicine, morphology, and social behaviors. Scientific study of primates is fundamental to understanding human evolution, societal constructs, and the impact of adaptability to environment.

Primates are our closest relatives on the evolutionary tree. Evidence indicates that Chimpanzees, sharing 98% DNA with modern humans, likely shared the last common ancestor before humans diverged from the linkage. As  chimpanzees are studied, researchers have concluded the fundamental social behaviors, emotional maturity issues, and biological adaptations to their environment are similar to human beings.

There are the dissenters of the validity of our evolutionary past and there are valid compassionate concerns in primate safety, health, and in the emotional damage that might arise in behavioral study. I agree that these issues must be addressed, must be regulated, and do so without harm to the animal. We must find ways to learn without harm. Primate study can give us vital information, and with this we can not only learn how to become better human beings, but also to become better caretakers of our animal world. And that, is sorely needed. Now.

References

Craig Stanford, J. S. (2013). Exploring Biological Anthropology: The Essentials (Vol. Third). New York: Pearson Learning Solutions. Retrieved April 5, 2016

Ember, C. R. (2011). Cultural Anthropology. Boston MA: Pearson Education.

Englemann, J. M. (2016, January 10). Chimpanzees Trust Their Friends. Retrieved April 8, 2016, from Current Biology: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.037

Jeffrey D. Fortman, T. A. (2011, 5). Retrieved April 9, 2016, from Primates: http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/ncstate/primate.htm

Menanche, A. (2012). The Scientific Case Against Primate Research. Retrieved April 2, 2016, from AnimalAid: http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/experiments/ALL/751/

Ning Fu, I. D.-R. (2011, Feb 07). Comparison of Protein and mRNA Expression Evolution in Humans and Chimpanzees. Retrieved April 4, 2016, from PLOS One: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000216

PRIMATES. (2012). Retrieved March 25, 2016, from http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/ncstate/primate.htm

Photo credit:

1.Primate evolutionary trends. Digital image. The Future of Humans. Human Biological Science, n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://tle.westone.wa.gov.au/&gt;.