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Everyone knows that chimpanzees are one of the our closest animal cousins. However does anyone really know exactly how related we are to this species? Scientists have recently discovered yet another similarity between humans and chimpanzees that is forcing them to think we have more in common with chimps than we could have ever imagined.
According to the article “Chimps Warn Their Unaware Friends of Dangers” by Dan Vergano of USA Today, a method of communication between humans and chimps has been discovered earlier this year. This method of communication is strangely human. Field biologists report that chimps are known to warn their unaware companions when danger is near, but new studies show that they do not bother warning other chimpanzees already aware of the dangers. This is said to be a “kind of cleverness once seen as unique to people.” Researchers are shocked that the chimpanzee is such a conscious animal. Not only are they conscious of the danger around them, but they are smart enough to notice if a companion has acknowledged the danger as well.
An experiment was conducted to further support this evidence. Biologist Catherine Crockford monitored 33 different chimp’s reactions to fake snakes placed in their paths. The study showed that the chimps almost never voiced an alert to other chimps that had also seen the snakes, but they were twice as likely to warn other chimps oblivious to the danger.
The article states that, “Chimps do partly understand each others' intentions, a kind of awareness believed essential to language skills.” Scientists are very hopeful that this discovery will lead to a greater understanding of the relationship between humans and chimpanzees.
This article connects to biology because it is about the evolution of animals. The article shows the ways in which humans and chimpanzees are similar. This article is also connected with biology because it shows how we evolved from chimpanzees. I learned by reading the article that because we evolved from the chimpanzee, we share many traits with them. I think it is important that we learn about our closest relative because in the process we can learn a lot about ourselves.
I think it is interesting that biologists are still finding new ways in which we are similar to other animals. There are many physical characteristics that we share with chimps, like our thumbs, but there are also mental characteristics that we share as well. After reading this article, the process of evolution became clear to me.
Megan, great article choice. I was amazed when I found out they communicated when they sensed danger. It makes me think, there are probably so many unknown things we haven't even thought of about humans. This might lead to new studies of human anatomy. All in all great writing.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article! I was surprised to learn that the chimpanzees were able to communicate well with others, and that they were so conscious about what was going on around them. Knowing about this could help humans learn about any other connections we may have with the chimps, and it could lead to more studies about evolution, like you said. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting. It reminded me of the movie, "Rise of the Planet Apes", because both the movie and the article talk about how smart chimps really are. People do not give them enough credit. I find it really interesting that chimps warn other chimps of danger, but not the ones that have already sensed it themselves. It amazes me how they are able to read other chimps body language to be able to tell if it has sensed the danger yet or not. It also makes me wonder what other types of animals that are closely related to us can also do. I learned a lot from your blog post. Great job!
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ReplyDeleteMegan, this article was very fascinating to read about. I was amazed to learn how smart chimpanzees really are. I didn't know how conscious chimpanzees really are. They are such an interesting species and we can learn so much from them. Relating to what we are learning now, DNA from humans and DNA from chimpanzees are so similar, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. This article furthers my curiosity in evolution. Great job, I really enjoyed reading this post.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this blog post because it helps me understand how we as humans are so similar to chimpanzees. It amazes me that we share close DNA, body parts, and mental characteristics with chimpanzees. The article “Chimps Warn Their Unaware Friends of Dangers” helped me understand how closely related we are to the chimps and how we can learn from them. This was an interesting study to write about because it shows us that chimps use the some of the same methods of communication that we do. I can relate to the chimp’s method of communication because I do think that humans warn each other when danger is near. We use actions and speaking just like the chimp’s do to warn our fellow humans if something is wrong. This article really showed me the strong connection that we have with chimps and that we are not really that different in the end since we evolved from them. Great Post, Megan!
ReplyDeleteMegan this was a very interesting article good job! I think it is so cool that chimps are our closest animal cousin. I think it is amazing to think that scientists are still discovering more and more now! It amazes me that the chimps are able to know who to warn and who not too! People seriously do not give chimps enough credit. I feel like also besides chimps, there are so many smart animals in the world that humans do not realize. This is a great article choice! It makes me think about all the other animals in the world and what they can do too!
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