Critique of Article About Primate Behavior Essay

Critique of Article About Primate Behavior - Essay Example Much of the researches about chimpanzees have been utilized to provide clues to human behavior. This is not a surprise as chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans; hence, share a number of traits such as the sense of self and community, the capacity use tools in building their nests and in hunting. Chimpanzees have high intellectual capacity, one that is â€Å"familiar to human beings†¦a type of behavior which counts as specifically human† (Goodall). By looking at the various factors of meat consumption among chimpanzees, the researchers hope to gain an insight into the diet and behavior of the last common ancestors of humans and apes and perhaps, understand the costs and benefits of human consumption of meat. The researches reviewed available literature on chimpanzee diet and hunting behavior in order to determine the costs and benefits of acquiring and consuming various forms of animal matter. They utilized the meat scrap hypothesis which states that â€Å"there is a net benefit to obtaining a mere scrap of meat, even when there is a net energetic cost† (Tennie, O’Malley, and Gilby 2) as a guide for their research. Results of the research showed that the chimpanzees preys on atleast 32 species of smaller mammals, lizards, amphibians and birds which are often found in undergrowths or in a tree hollow. It was also discovered that nutritional yield, acquisition cost, yield per minute, local abundance and availability of prey were the major factors that affect chimpanzee consumption of vertebrate and invertebrate prey. Of all its prey, the termite soldiers, termite alates, dorylus ants and the red colobus monkey are the chimpanzees’ favorite.