1. What is empathy? Do non-human primates show empathy?
Many psychologists define empathy as the ability to understand and share the feeling of others. Similarly, several research studies have shown that empathy is divided as emotional and cognitive empathy. The emotional form of understanding is also referred to as emotional contagion, and it relates to the act of adapting the feelings of another person and hence feels like they do. On the other hand, cognitive empathy is cognition contagion and refers to the act of catching someone’s thoughts so and feels like them (Cordoni, Nicotra, & Palagi, 2015).
Further studies reveal that non-human primates such as Chimpanzees and dogs have the ability to show empathy. For example, a research study by de Waal and Campbel (2014) showed that chimpanzees had the tendency of showing empathy to humans and their fellow group mates but not to baboons and unfamiliar chimpanzees. These nonhuman primates exhibited contagions such as yawning when one yawned or showed emotional concerns when one of them was either happy or sad.
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Similarly, dogs showed empathetic reactions to their fellow dog but not to other animals of different species. Another study has shown that nonhuman primates have the cognitive ability to mimic the behavior of other fellow primates.In so doing, the develop the abilities to understand and adopt the feeling of their fellow group members thus enhancing empathetic reactions among the nonhuman primates (Serah, 2014). Major research findings indicate that animals have the ability to perceive, think, and conceive. These three factors are very necessary for the effective act of empathetic reaction. Therefore, nonhuman primates have the capacity to show empathy at different points in time.
2. Discuss the evolution of cooperation in primates
The evolution of corporation in primates occurred as a result of development in their brains (Cassey, Snelling, Angove & Seymour, 2015). Research has proved that animals acquired the need to corporate and acts as a group as their brain enlarged in size. For example, the increase in the size of an animal’s brain led to the development of thinking, in addition, perceiving. Primates became aware of their needs and devised methods of fulfilling them. The perceived and adapted to the act of division of labor or role assignment between the male and the female species.
The acts of assigning roles also lead to the need to work together t fulfill their emotional, social, psychological and other needs. Hence, the development of corporation among primates. The fact that emotional cognition experiences drove primates also led to corporation between primates. According to Mundi and Montgomery (2010), different levels of emotional and cognitive skills among primate led to the perception of corporative factors such as living together. Similarly, the animals also developed the need to hunt together and do other life supporting activities together. Therefore, effective cognitive development leads to the evolution of cooperation between primates.
Emotional needs such as the need to be with a group of primate that had similar activities also lead to the requirement to work together in the group among primates (Ramaiah, 2015). Similarly, primate form corporation due to the need to form strong reciprocatory needs. Animals also felt the need to form a partnership to promote kin recognition, dominance, and fitness. For example, many animals form alliances to protect their own and gain superiority over others (Silk, 2010).
3. Describe the conservation status of primates.
The conservation of status of primates relates to factors such as fitness and need to for conservation. Research has shown that primates such as chimpanzee, guerillas, and baboons always form territories to protect their alliances from attack by other groups of chimpanzees. The need to protect their group of extinction, harassments, and attacks by other groups also instills the leadership and dominance roles among the strong groups (Mckinnon, 2013). In so doing, the group aims to maintain their status as the other groups fear and pledge allegiance to the reigning. Humans can also act in protecting the status of primates by protecting the habitats in which the primates live. Research has shown that different species of primates are endangered and needs protection to stop them from going extinct. Therefore, protecting their habitats from hunting and poaching is vital in protecting the status of such animals (Nekaris & Ginn, 2014). Changes in the weather also exhibit conditions that are not sufficient for the survival of some prime. It is important to protect such animals to harsh weather conditions that might lead to their death hence extinction.
The status of primates is also protected using animal laws in various countries. These laws function to ensure that no human act in destroying the natural habitats of primates through activities such as logging of wood and trees, burning grasses and other woodland areas that act as natural habitats to such animals. On the same note, wildlife societies in countries such as Vietnam have taken the step to classify and know the number of all the species of primates in the country and come up with effective methods of protecting them from extinction. Some of the methods include taking such animals to zoos, game parks, and game reserves (Streicher, Than, & Nadler, 2007)
References
Cassey, P., Snelling, P., Angove, S., & Seymour, R. (2015). Scaling of cerebral blood perfusion in primates and marsupials. Journal of Experimental Biology .
Cordoni, G., Nicotra, P., & Palagi, E. (2015). Rapid mimicry and emotional contagion in domestic dogs. The Royal Society of Science , 2-45.
deWaal, F., & Campbel, M. (2014). Chimpanzees empathize with group mates and humans, but not with baboons or unfamiliar chimpanzees. Proceedings of the Royal Society .
Mckinnon, K. (2013). The Conservation Status of Nonhuman Primates in Indonesia. Springer Science , 97-129.
Mundi, N., & Montgomery, S. (2010). Brain evolution: microcephaly genes weigh in. Science Direct .
Nekaris, K., & Ginn, L. (2014). The First Survey of the Conservation Status of Primates in Southern Burkina Faso, West Africa. Primate Conservation , 128-139.
Ramaiah, P. (2015). Exploring What Makes Cooperation Work. National Science Foundation .
Serah, A. (2014). Concept of mind in non-human primates. BioScience Horizons .
Silk, J. (Evolution of corporation in primates ). The Evolution of Cooperation in Primate Groups . Journal of animal science , 34-45.
Streicher, U., Than, V., & Nadler, ,. T. (2007). Conservation status of Vietnamese primates. Vietnames Journal o Primatology , 7-26.
