![[A capuchin monkey hanging from a branch high up in the tree.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2023/07/pexels-andre-vujovic-13232032-1.jpg)
Have you ever seen “#PrimatesAreNotPets” floating around Twitter and other social media platforms? There’s a good reason this hashtag is becoming more prominent on the internet; primatologists, animal welfare activists, and conservationists are pushing to bring attention to the illegal pet trade and the devastation that it wrecks on the animals and their natural habitats. Primates aren’t the only exotic animals affected by the illegal pet trade, but they provide an excellent example of what removing a species from an ecosystem can do both at home and in the wild…
Tag: primates
Primates: Nature’s grounds keepers
![[A young macaque enjoys some jackfruit up in the trees.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2019/07/jackfruit-4037499_1920.jpg)
Over the past few years, the iconic video below has become the face of orangutan conservation efforts: a young male orangutan confronting a bulldozer as it destroys the forest around him. Orangutan populations once stretched from the islands of Indonesia through Vietnam and into the south Asian continent. Fossils of orangutan ancestors have even been found all the way up into northern India! Today, wild orangutans can only be found in Sumatra and Borneo, two islands in Indonesia…
The tale of anthropology’s sweetheart: Lucy
![[An artist’s rendering of two Australopithecus afarensis. They are both standing upright and are partially covered in black hair all over their bodies. One is grabbing a low tree branch.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/11/aafarensis_h.jpg)
The skeleton known as Lucy is arguably the most recognizable specimen of the modern human lineage. Anthropologists have used her remains to learn about the behavior and anatomy of Australopithecus afarensis, a member of the modern human lineage, as well as evolution in general. While she is one of the most famous and recognizable skeletons to the general public, she is also beloved in the field of anthropology.
What’s it like to work with primates? Interviews from the Ape Initiative
![[Bonobos in an outdoor enclosure, with several platforms, ropes, and other objects to simulate a more natural environment. ]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/65318852_1163514153847781_3133089543335444480_o.jpg)
In this post, ScIU blogger Chloe Holden interviews staff members at the Ape Initiative in Iowa. She covers topics like: What is it like working with nonhuman primates on a regular basis? What surprised you the most when you were getting to know the bonobos? What’s your favorite part about working with the bonobos? and others…
You’re not too important to pick up poop: The quirks and perks of working with primates
![[Pictured are the seven bonobo residents of the Ape Initiative. Starting in the top left to right is Kanzi, Maisha, Elikya and Nyota. The bottom row from left to right is Mali, Clara, and Teco.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/bonobos-at-ACCI.png
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For the past three and a half years, I have been volunteering at the Ape Initiative as part of my research interests in primatology and cognition research. The Ape Initiative is a non-profit research and conservation facility that is home to 7 bonobos (Pan paniscus) and counting! Bonobos are one of the closest living relatives to humans, sharing about 98-99% of their DNA…
7 Tips on How You Can Help the Environment
This is part three in a series on primates and conservation. Check out parts one and two here. If you want to help with saving our environment and animal conservation efforts follow the tips below! Even the smallest efforts can make an impact on primate conservation, and help combat against the effects of global warming.
Primates: Nature’s Grounds Keepers
This is the second installment of the Primate Conversations Series. You can read Part 1 here. In the past year, the iconic video below has become the face of orangutan conservation efforts: a young male orangutan confronting a bulldozer as it destroys the forest around him. Orangutan populations once stretched from the islands of Indonesia… Read more »
Back to the Stone Age: Why study primate archaeology?
This is the first installment of the Primate Conversation Series. You can read parts two and three here! In 1960, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee, whom she named David Greybeard, deep in the Tanzanian jungle using a stick to fish for termites. This discovery was the first documented observation of a chimpanzee using tools in… Read more »