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Our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees, are familiar enough - bright and ornery and promiscuous. But they also kill and eat their kin, in this case the red colobus monkey, which may say something about primate - even hominid - evolution. This book, the first detailed account of a predator-prey relationship involving two wild primates, documents a six-year investigation into how the risk of predation molds primate society. Taking us to Gombe National Park in Tanzania, a place made famous by Jane Goodall's studies, the book offers a close look at how predation by wild chimpanzees - observable in the park as nowhere else - has influenced the behavior, ecology, and demography of a population of red colobus monkeys. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Exploring War in the Chimp World
I'm not a primatologist, thus this review is for people who may have a curiosity about chimp behavior as it may or may not relate to humans -- particularly the "warring behaviors" of chimps. The author packs a lot of research in this book -- statistical and anecdotal. Well written, highly readable. For those who like to see graphs and charts, there are also plenty of those. I bought this book as part of my research for teaching a war short stories college course. I was interested in learning about "violence" in animals and insects and comparing that violence with the human tendency to war. Well, I found plenty of relationships, and after a while, it became difficult to not see human behavior reflected in the fairly objective reports from the author/researcher. The information carnivorous habits (chimps hunt and eat colobus monkeys) is fascinating. As with Jane Goodall's research, the reader learns the individual characteristics and personalities of chimps in their peculiar society -- important, I think, as a way of viewing each animal as a societal force and to understanding the complex interrelationships, and their ties to power struggles. Most importantly, the book provides an insight into human behavior and how we negotiate and manipulate to achieve higher levels of power. ... Read more

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They have fingerprints and fingernails, just like we do, and they laugh when their mothers tickle them. Discover the tool-making techniques and social structure of the hunters that remind us so much of ourselves.

Zoobooks, the 59-book animal series - the "everything you wanted to know but didn't know who to ask" guide to the world's most fascinating creatures. Each exciting edition of Zoobooks is packed with current scientific facts, striking photography, beautiful illustrations and unique activities that teach children about animals and the habitats in which they live. With innovative publications and products, Wildlife Education, Ltd. has enriched the lives of children, parents, and educators nationwide for 20 years. All titles are offered in library-bound hardcover and soft-cover styles.Zoobooks, ideal for the knowledge-hungry 4-11 year old! ... Read more

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The Chimps
This book was an interesting book because it gave me information of a chimpanzee's life. It told me how chimps are related to humans. This book is a great source of information about chimpanzees. [GladysDiaz] ... Read more

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Short of inventing a time machine, we will never see our extinct forebears in action and be able to determine directly how human behaviour and culture has developed. However, we can learn from our closest living relatives, the African great apes. The Cultured Chimpanzee explores the astonishing variation in chimpanzee behavior across their range, which cannot be explained by individual learning, genetic or environmental influences. It promotes the view that this rich diversity in social life and material culture reflects social learning of traditions, and more closely resembles cultural variety in humans than the simpler behavior of other animal species. This stimulating book shows that the field of cultural primatology may therefore help us to reconstruct the cultural evolution of Homo sapiens from earlier forms, and that it is essential for anthropologists, archaeologists and zoologists to work together to develop a stronger understanding of human and primate cultural evolution.- First book to provide a synthetic analysis of chimpanzee culture, covering both material and social culture - Models the origins and evolution of human culture using our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees - A significant and stimulating book which examines how anthropology, animal behavior and psychology must come together to truly understand the basis for human and animal culture ... Read more

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Multi-tasking the multi-faceted
How do we define "culture"? By location? Religion? Eating habits? Settling on any one or even a few elements makes it easy to limit culture to human beings alone. Many cultural anthropologists steadfastly keep to those bounds. McGrew argues strongly that such narrow constraints confine our thinking. His view of culture is defined as: "The way we do things". That would seem to open to almost infinite possibilities. For some, that has been the case - one researcher even sweeping pet guppies into the net. McGrew, however, is more concerned with ensuring culture takes other primates into account. In particular, he wants our nearest cousins, the chimpanzees, included in the rubric. In this finely-conceived overview, he skillfully builds a case for showing culture exists in chimpanzee society.

McGrew's long career of primate research in the field granted him wide experience and many insights. The insights derived in some cases from surprises. His own observations in Gombe, Tanzania, were jarred by a visit to Mahale. No chimps in Gombe ever engaged in mutual grooming the way they did at Mahale. The Japanese team at Mahale assumed all chimpanzees did the "grooming hand-clasp", but McGrew explained it was otherwise. The event marked a major step in understanding that the usual human idea of The Chimpazee as a universal is false. Chimps have practices that vary in different places. In western Africa they will shatter hard food nuts with stone or branch hammers. Eastern chimpanzees "fish" for ants and termites with twigs, but don't pound readily available nuts. Some chimps apparently fear immersion in water, while others will plunge in up to their chests. Yet, what we know of these variations in behaviour and why it exists remains only initial awareness. McGrew calls for further research using clear parameters.

Recognising that "the way we do things" is but a way to expand our outlook to include other primates, McGrew offers a set of terms for clarification. Noting that culture studies must weave in several disciplines from anthropology to zoology, he indicates which contributions each can provide. More importantly, he suggests that cross-disciplinary research will not only help clarify what culture means, the effort would certainly further the insights in the various fields. An indication of this is found in the book's structure, which deals less about "the way chimpanzees do things" and asks more about where new data should be sought. "Speech", for example, which most humans declare sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, has almost been ignored as a research topic in primatology.

McGrew avoids a strict definition of "culture". Instead, he skirts that issue, urging that "operational" values be used - is the suggested definition subject to investigation and/or testing and be reliably verifiable? Content is more important than labels, since labels produce constraints. Having been in many an academic skirmish, McGrew has no hesitation about accepting preliminary results in the new field he proposes. There's much to be done and while debate over terminology rages, chimpanzees are being habituated to humans, which changes their behaviour and may lead to their extinction. Part of that debate, he contends, takes up too much time and effort in how far "culture" can be extended. When guppy females show preference for victorious fighting males, is it necessary to argue over whether that signifies culture? Conversely, some have tried to limit "culture" to our high-tech society. Yet, that proposal fails when we examine the range of human societies. Such comparison with primate cultures is even less valid.

McGrew's plea for an expansion of the idea of culture is dramatically synthesised in his final chapter. "Standard" science cannot be practiced on chimpanzees. As he's already demonstrated, there are geographical distinctions in some chimp social behaviour. Relocating large groups of chimpanzees to determine if these differences are environmental, imparted or genetic is both impractical and unethical. Future studies, he urges, should be experimental and opportunistic in method. Strict controls are impossible, but the cross-disciplinary approach should make up for that condition. The first teams might well be palaeoanthropologists and cultural primatologists. Fossil hunters could teach field researchers in primatology much. Of course, McGrew's colleagues must be willing to learn. Which is one reason why he wrote this book. The other reason is that human beings must shed their conceit that only our species can possess culture. Discarding that prejudice will aid in awakening our impact on the rest of Nature, as well. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

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Do chimpanzees have something akin to culture? Bringing together studies of behavioral variation within and among chimpanzees and bonobos --the sibling species of the genus Pan--this book provides the basis for answering this question. In Chimpanzee Cultures, the world's leading authorities on chimpanzees and bonobos chronicle the animals' behaviors from one study site to the next, in both captive and wild groups, in laboratory and field settings.

Customer Reviews (2)

Scientific papers on chimpanzee culture
More scientific in nature than most books on chimpanzees, the editors have compiled a series of papers written by noted primatologists on the subject of chimpanzee culture.The book is divided into sections:Ecology, Social Relations, and Cognition.With articles titled like "Biobehavorial Roots of Language: A Comparative Perspective of Chimpanzee, Child, and Culture," you know you aren't reading a book intended for the mass market.These papers often contain objective measures of the authors' studies represented in graphs and charts, with minimal photographic illustration. However, for anyone researching the details of chimpanzee culture, this book offers a wealth of insight from a variety of sources.

I recommend this book only for those seriously interested in chimpanzees and primate social structure.Others will find this book too dry and scientific, especially when compared to the more anecdotal books written by Jane Goodall.

Great summary of chimpanzee behavior
The book surveys our current scientific understanding of chimpanzee behavior.Both common chimpanzees and bonobos are covered.I doubt any reasonable person who read this book would challenge the notion that theterm "culture" is applicable to chimpanzees.I particularlyliked the sections on social relations and cognition.Anyone wanting tounderstand human behavior would do well to read this book. ... Read more

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Thanks to classic studies such as Jane Goodall's The Chimpanzees of Gombe, we know a great deal about our closest primate relative, but much remains to be discovered about these endlessly fascinating family members. Even their genus name, Pan, taken from the Greek god who represented the spirit of nature, aptly characterizes their elusiveness, for, like nature, chimpanzee behavior is a "giant jigsaw puzzle," as Goodall puts it. This book, a definitive summary of current knowledge about chimpanzees and bonobos, is a significant step toward solving the puzzle.

Virtually every major chimpanzee specialist from around the world--Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Africa, the United States--has contributed to this landmark volume. It contains important contributions by Japanese researchers who have been working in Africa for as many years as Goodall and whose work is not readily accessible in the West.

Understanding Chimpanzees examines a wide range of topics, including social behavior and ecology in the field, the rich variety of cultural traditions between one population and another in Africa and elsewhere, behavior in captivity, and the incredible cognitive abilities of chimpanzees in language acquisition laboratories. Of special interest is the strong coverage of bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees). The authors also concentrate on conveying a better appreciation of chimpanzee intelligence through the description of various ongoing investigations, particularly ones that examine signing interactions, vocabulary testing and modulation, and symbol acquisition.

In addition to the Foreword, Jane Goodall contributes a review of her own work at Gombe, her proposal for a "ChimpanZoo" project, and an update on the status of conservation in Tanzania. The book contains a major section on chimpanzee conservation in captivityand in the wild, documenting the threat to chimpanzee habitat and survival.

This work draws from a broad range of disciplines, including ethology, psychology, anatomy, biology, anthropology, conservation, and ecology and will attract readers pursuing ideas in all these fields. Over 100 photographs and drawings illustrate the text, which has been carefully assembled and edited by Paul G. Heltne, Director of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, and Linda A. Marquardt, the editor of Science Learning in the Informal Setting.

Product Description
British naturalist Jane Goodall provides an intimate portrait of a group of chimpanzees in the jungles of Africa which she has studied for many years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Chimp Family Photo Portraits
The images within this book provide an invaluble insight into the dynamics of a chimpanzee family.

Must have for young children
I love this book, only downside to it that it was more centered for little children and did not go into very much detail about, well anything. Keeps kids very intersted though. would deffinatly recomend to those monkey lovers out their.

Chimpanzee Family Book
Jane Goodhall gives a beautiful informative insight into what makes these chimps so special and worthy of saving. Cute appealing photos - a book for all ages to enjoy.

A beautiful portrait of a child and his community
In "The Chimpanzee Family Book," Jane Goodall's words combine with Michael Neugebauer's photographs to create a memorable portrait of a chimpanzee family. The star of this book is five month old Galahad, who lives with his mother Gremlin and their extended family in Tanzania's Gombe National Park.

Although marketed as a children's book, this treasure is truly one for all ages. In fact, I bought a copy for my four year old nephew some time ago, but loved the book so much I kept it for myself! (Don't worry; I ordered a second copy for my nephew.)

This book is truly a portrait of an entire community. As Jane Goodall follows little Galahad and his mother through a typical day, we get to meet Gremlin's brothers, as well as the other chimpanzees who make up the larger group. Michael Neugebauer's keen eye captures many memorable images--some funny, some touching. Goodall's straightforward prose is the perfect complement to the wealth of beautiful, full-color images. Her insights into chimpanzee life make the book as educational as it is enjoyable.

"The Chimpanzee Family Book" reminds us that the strength of family and the joy of childhood are not exclusive to the human race. And the book is also a poignant reminder of the vital need to protect the chimpanzees from threats to their continued survival.

So whether you buy this book for your favorite child or your favorite adult, "The Chimpanzee Family Book" is sure to become a treasured favorite. ... Read more

Product Description
In this lecture, Jane Goodall, who has written many popular biology books and is a campaigner for animal conservation, describes her work in the Gombe Stream Game Reserve. Despite political and social upheavals in Africa, Dr Goodal has spent the last 30 years observing and researching the Gombe chimpanzees. She shows how chimpanzees have unique personalities and develop complex psychological, social and political relationships with one another. Biologically only 1% different to humans, the Gombe chimpanzees show remarkably human emotional characteristics, as this book describes. ... Read more

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A SCIENTIFIC REPORT ON THE "PROJECT WASHOE" SIGN LANGUAGE EXPERIMENTS
R. Allen Gardner and wife Beatrix T. Gardner are professors of comparative psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, and most famous for conducting Project Washoe, an attempt to teach American Sign Language (ASL) to a chimpanzee.They state in the Preface to this 1989 book, "Until now, our reports have usually taken the form of relatively short, highly compressed atricles in widely scattered professional books and journals with much of the background detail sacrificed to save space. This volume began as a way of collecting earlier reports and publishing them together with the most recent findings in one easily accessible space."

The Gardners are highly critical of "Project Nim" at Columbia: "The poor results of Project Nim at Columbia University are puzzling until the methods of Project Nim are compared with the methods of the Reno laboratory. After Nim left Columbia he went to the University of Oklahoma where he found human conversational partners who followed Roger Fouts' procedures rather than the operational rigor and drill of the Columbia laboratory."

They state, "In our view, it is the obligatory attachment of vocal behavior to emotional state that makes it so difficult, perhaps impossible, for chimpanzees to speak English words. They can, however, use their hands in the arbitrary connection between signs and referents." They used a method they called "molding" (i.e., "to take their hands and mold them into the sign while putting them through the movement") to teach signs to Washoe.

They note that Washoe's "adopted son" Loulis "acquired signing and other skills from Washoe and the younger chimpanzees in his community."

They conclude, "The possibility then arises that there is a continuum in nature---even primate nature: what the human infant also experiences between birth and later childhood may result from human (and primate) cognitive abilities plus interacton with others, and not from a genetic 'black box.'" ... Read more

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Unlike humans, who came down from the trees and developed bipedal locomotion, chimpanzees have remained in the original habitat of our ancestors: the tropical rainforests of Africa.In this book, Vernon Reynolds describes in detail the work of a large number of students and senior researchers on the wild chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest Reserve in Western Uganda. He presents a coherent and in-depth account of one chimpanzee community of more than 60 individuals living in the Sonso area in the middle of the Budongo Forest, which he and his colleagues have studied intensively over the last 15 years. The chimpanzees have never been provisioned and live in an entirely natural state. Reynolds describes their forest habitat, their diet and culture, their social organization and behavior, their diseases, and the threats to them that derive from the actions of people in the surrounding villages, the most serious of these being the presence of snares set by hunters to catch small antelopes and pigs.As founder and head of the Budongo Forest Project, Professor Reynolds has been responsible for compiling the numerous publications, reports, and dissertations written about these chimpanzees. In this book, he combines these new and often unpublished studies with past publications about Budongo Forest. Where appropriate, he also compares the Budongo chimpanzees with wild chimpanzees studied at other sites across Africa. The result is the most comprehensive account of the Budongo chimpanzees ever published, with a wealth of referenced material that will serve as a source of information for many years to come. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes how chimpanzees are born and cared for and how they learn to find food and communicate with other members of their group. ... Read more