As each class progresses, I learn more and more about what we know biologically, and what we learn through culture. It is interesting to learn about the research done on bonobos, and their similarity to humans. Another interesting topic is the issue of how much of what non humans know and understand is biological, and how much is a result of cultural influences. How much of what they are able to do comes from training and learned behaviors and how much of it is already inherent in their DNA?
I was fascinated by Susan Savage-Rambaugh's presentation on Kanzi and Pamanisha. You can find her presentation at: http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_savage_rumbaugh_on_apes_that_write.html . Any references made to Susan here have been taken from her presentation. During the 17 minute presentation, Susan claims that Bonobos are one of the happiest species on the planet. I believe that bonobos do differ from us in a lot of ways, but they are also like us in many others way. Such as the way they walk, which is very close to the way we do. In terms of their sexuality, however, they differ from humans in that sexuality permeates their entire life, according to Susan. And sexuality is used to resolve conflict among them and for communication. Susan said that as humans we compartmentalize our lives to fit into categories where everything has its place, unlike bonobos - where sex is a part of all aspects of their lives. But Susan believes we too, were not always like this. She also believes its not our biology, but culture, that has gotten us to where we are. In the film presentation, the woman (I wasn't clear if she was Susan) was seen in the woods with Kanzi. When she told him to gather sticks for a fire, he gathered and broke sticks for the pile. Then she told him that she had a lighter in her pocket, and that he could use it to start the fire. He reached into her pocket and using the lighter, he started the fire. Bonobos have an uncanny ability to observe an action, and then imitate it. He blew out the fire on the roasted marshmallow after she did. He even had an awareness of what he needed to do to keep the fire going. Of course he had to have observed these actions at some point, or been trained over a period of time. I keep using words like fascinating and amazing, but the fact that the bonobos could enter into an environment, be familiar with it, and carry out certain sets of actions, such as gathering wood and lighting fires, is certainly fascinating . Even when it was time to leave the camp ground, the bonobos, when asked, grabbed the jug of water and poured it over the fire to put it out. Bonoos can also understand language. The fact that he could understand language and follow through on complex human commands was quite fascinating to watch. The bonobos' level of understanding is so amazing. Is the fact that the bonobos was able to gather objects and carry them from place to place, and understands that when they look in a mirror they are seeing themselves examples of their biological make up, or human culture? Susan says that by combining bonobo and human culture, scientists are better able to see how culture plays a role in the lives of bonobos. I observed Pamanisha, another bonobos, exhibiting some of the same protective characteristics as human mothers. For instance, when her baby wanted to play with the scissors. Aware of the danger of getting hurt, Pamanisha removed the scissors from the baby's reach. Pamanisha also showed motherly qualities when she carefully and meticulously used the scissors to cut her baby's hair. That takes skill, hand/eye coordination, and the use of fine motor skills. The most incredible thing of all to me, was watching Pamanisha draw images in chalk on the floor to communicate where she wanted to go. She drew a symbol that represented the hut in the woods, and a drawing similar to the one that represented the leash she wears when she goes out. I was so fascinated by this. Susan stated that bonobos communicate in the wild using their own language, and I believe this to be true. Susan demonstrated through this presentation that because of their similarities to us, bonobos are one of the most interesting and remarkable creatures on the planet. This leaves me to wonder, how much of what the bonobos are capable of doing and understanding is within their biological make up, and how much of it is influenced by their exposure to human culture.
Wanda, your blog highlights similar questions that I have been experiencing. I too have asked myself how much of what the great apes, or specifically bonobos, learn is a result of being exposed to human culture. I wonder if similar attributes could be witnessed within their natural habitat. Reading Tomasello and the discussions in class have fueled my desire to look into the human-ape connection further. I watched Savage-Rambaugh’s Ted Talk as well as PBS’s The Human Spark hosted by Alan Alda (pbs.org/wnet/humanspark). Both videos demonstrate chimps or bonobos doing truly impressive acts of engaging with humans, helping them, and even communicating with them. It is hard to dispute the evidence seen in these research videos. However, as Tomasello states in The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition (p.34-36) apes that learn in captivity or within human surroundings are enculturated. Essentially, they no longer represent a true depiction of their natural self. They now exist in a world that is different than their natural habitat. Therefore the methods in which they learn should not be taken at face value, rather with the stipulation that these demonstrated processes of learning reflects the environment in which the learning occurred. Although impressive, would the same results occur naturally in the wild? Is there a way to measure their natural methods of learning?
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