Chimpanzee Essay -- essays research papers

ChimpanzeeThe acts of cannibalism and infanticide ar rattling apparent in the behaviorof the chimpanzee. umpteen African studies show that wild chimpanzees kill and eatinfants of their own species. (Goodall, 1986151) Although there is not a clearanswer why chimps engage in this very violent and sometimes dour behaviorthere are many ideas and suggestions. This essay will deal with chimpanzeeaggression, cannibalism and infanticide. This p caricaturer will present reading onmajor research studies performed in Africa and analyze how and why this strangebehavior occurs in a commonly thought peaceful primate.Wild chimpanzees(Pan genus Troglodytes schweinfurthii) are known to kill and eatmammals in various parts of Africa. Monkeys were recorded to be consumed in theGombe National Park, the Kasakati Basin, and the Budongo Forest. Moreover,there is new evidence that chimpanzees shape up the Ugalla River of western Tanzaniaalso consume mammals.(Riss, 1990167) Cannibalism has also been recorded bothin the Budongo Forest, Mahale Mountains and the Gombe National Park.In Jane Goodalls, May 1979 article in the National Geographic called " flavourand Death at Gombe" it reveals the starting time time that chimpanzees who were alwaysperceived to be playful, teachable monkeys, could suddenly become dangerous killers."I knew that some of our chimpanzees, so gentle for the most part, could onoccasion become savage killers, ruthless cannibals, and that they had their ownform of primitive warfare."(Goodall, 1979594) To try and explain this ruthlessbehavior it is necessary to first analyze their social upbringing and uniquelifestyle.The Chimpanzee society is clearly a male dominated aggressive social unit.Males are larger than females, they are more openly aggressive, and they fightmore often. (Holloway, 1974261)     These fights can look extremely fierce and     the victim screams loudly. But it is rare   & nbsp for a fight between residential district members to last     longer than quarter of a minute, and it is     even more unusual for such a fight to result     in serious injury.(Goodall, 19927)Many fights germinate out suddenly. Afterwards the loser of the fight, eventhough clearly fearful of the aggressor, will alm... ...s been no evidence revealing why chimpanzees act andbehave in this cannibalistic fashion. There are many theories and ideas butlike the theory of evolution there is no one clear answer. Being the closest financial support relative to the human being, chimpanzees exhibit complicated andintricate behavior due to their advanced brains.(Zuckerman, 1932171) Thispaper has revealed that chimpanzees are creatures of great extremes aggressiveone moment, peaceful the next. This gruesome violent behavior can actually belinked to a similarity with human beings. It is widely accepted in thescientific communit y that chimpanzees are the closest human relatives we have.If we are indeed superior to these primates, does it not stand to reason thathumans should be able to learn from this violence and avoid it? Jane Goodall,in her article labeled, "Life and Death at Gombe" draws a similar conclusion     It is sobering that our new awareness of     chimpanzee violence compels us to acknowledge     that these ape cousins of ours are even more     similar to humans than we thought before.