De Waal Compares Primate and Political Behaviours

Humans may have more in common with monkeys, chimpanzees and other non-human primates than they think, according to Frans de Waal, C.H. Candler professor of primate behaviour.

De Waal, whom TIME magazine designated as one of “100 People Who Shape Our World,” described the uncanny similarities between human and ape behavior in the inaugural lecture for Emory Universities Life of the Mind lunchtime lecture series this month.

The lecture, entitled; “Our Inner Ape: What Primate Behavior Teaches Us About Human Nature”, heard De Waal speak of the results of new experiments he had carried out, focusing on such shared behaviours as social reciprocity, communication and cultural transmission. De Waal went on to link human social organisation and leadership behaviour, to that of Chimpanzee dominance, comparing behaviours from politicians such as George Bush to our ape cousins!

De Waal’s latest research will focus on primate economics, including decision making in work-reward situations, training and testing Chimps cultural teaching abilities, and analysing gestures in complex social situations.

HEADLINES:
[05.10.07] Emory Wheel: De Waal Traces Human Behavior to Apes.