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Chapter 4
Primate Behavior
MULTIPLE CHOICE
W 1. A female chimpanzee does not reach sexual maturity until about the age of 10, and once
she produces her first live offspring, there is a period of on average ________ years
before she will bear another.
a. 2
b. 5 – 6
c. 7
d. 3
e. 1
2. The orangutans found in Borneo tend to lead a solitary existence because they have to
forage far and wide for sufficient food. In contrast, fruits and insects are sufficiently
abundant in the swamps of Sumatra to sustain groups of adult orangs and permit
coordinated group travel. Thus, _______________.
a. orangutans in Sumatra tend to be heavier because they don’t have to search so hard
for food
b. a solitary existence is a function of habitat productivity
c. habitat productivity promotes harmony
d. gregariousness is a function of habitat productivity
e. coordinated group travel is a function of lack of habitat productivity
3. According to your textbook, different chimp communities have different styles of
grooming. For example, if the anthropologists sees a group of chimps using leaves in
their grooming she/he could validly assume that these chimps are from
_______________.
a. South Africa
b. West Africa
c. North Africa
d. East Africa
e. the San Diego Zoo
4. As mentioned in your textbook, the skin around the genitals of the _______________
female is constantly swollen, concealing the time of ovulation by looking and behaving
as if they are always fertile.
a. chimpanzee
b. bonobo
c. gorilla
d. gibbon
e. macaque
W 5. In the chimpanzee community studied by _______________, female, not male
dominance was noted.
a. Diane Fossey
b. Ruth Benedict
c. Jane Goodall
d. Margaret Mead
e. Jennifer Thompson
W 6. Which of the following statements about number of offspring among primates is
incorrect?
a. Reduction in the number of offspring among primates is an adaptation to an arboreal
existence.
b. Catarrhines tend to produce fewer offspring than do strepsirhines.
c. The more closely related a primate species is to humans, the more helpless and
immature the newborn offspring tend to be.
d. a, b, and c
e. none of the above
7. The most helpless infant at birth would be the offspring of a(n) _______________.
a. lemur
b. monkey
c. ape
d. human
e. gazelle
Primate Behavior
8. Which of the following statements logically supports the statement in your text that a
longer period of learning confers a distinct evolutionary advantage?
a. A female living in the trees has fewer infants than a female living on the ground.
b. A baby primate tends to be more helpless at birth than other mammalian babies.
c. Primate babies are born with undeveloped nervous systems and spend a long period
dependent on adults for instruction in the particular behaviors that are necessary for
their survival; thus, they can learn behavioral repertoire suitable to a wide variety of
conditions.
d. Primate babies are so attached to their mothers that if their mothers die, they are
likely to die as well.
e. none of the above
9. The violence among chimpanzee groups witnessed by primatologist Jane Goodall is
thought to have been the consequence of __________________.
a. one group’s males having a monopoly over both groups’ females
b. competition for scarce resources
c. crowding brought about by the growing population of herd animals
d. crowding brought about by human encroachment
e. the aggressive nature of chimpanzees
10. Which of the following field primatologists began fieldwork first?
a. Dian Fossey
b. Kinji Imanishi
c. Jane Goodall
d. Louis Leakey
e. Michelle Orrin
11. In what country did Jane Goodall do her field research at Gombe?
a. Uganda
b. Kenya
c. Japan
d. Tanzania
e. Brazil
Chapter 4
W 12. The position of a chimpanzee in a dominance hierarchy is affected by _______________.
a. physical strength and size
b. rank of the chimpanzee’s mother
c. motivation
d. intelligence
e. all of the above
13. Bonobo, chimpanzee, and gorilla social groups are similar in which of the following
ways?
a. The group life provides protection for its members, thus enhancing the survival of
individuals who belong to it.
b. The groups are quite large, often numbering more than 100 individuals.
c. The groups have a clear-cut dominance hierarchy.
d. Females within the group always remain there, and adolescent males always leave.
e. all of the above
14. If you were to visit a primate group in the wild, the most frequent type of activity that
you would be likely to see is _______________.
a. sex
b. grooming
c. adults playing
d. infants being cared for by their mothers’ friends
e. groups defending their territory
15. An important method of learning among infants and juveniles is _______________.
a. sex
b. brachiation
c. play
d. knuckle-walking
e. home ranges
Primate Behavior
W 16. Which of the following statements about primate social interaction is correct?
a. Chimpanzees tend to be monogamous because they have a high degree of sexual
dimorphism.
b. The vocalizations of primates almost always express ideas rather than emotion.
c. Gorillas are more likely than chimpanzees to defend their home ranges.
d. Chimpanzees are less promiscuous than other primates.
e. none of the above
17. The ability to make and use tools is _______________.
a. present only in humans
b. a significant part of the behavior of gorillas and orangutans
c. present among chimpanzees but is rarely a significant part of the behavior of baboons
and gorillas
d. a significant part of the behavior of baboons
e. none of the above
W 18. If you were observing nonhuman primates, which of the following would you be more
likely to observe hunting other mammals?
a. bonobos and chimpanzees
b. gorillas
c. New World monkeys
d. lemurs
e. marmosets
19. In the wild, _______________ have not been observed making and using tools to the
extent that chimpanzees do.
a. ring-tailed monkeys
b. orangutans
c. bonobos
d. rhesus monkeys
e. gorillas
Chapter 4
W 20. Bonobos use of _______________ to mark trails may be considered a form of tool
use.
a. large stones
b. large leaves
c. sticks that point the way
d. piles of dirt
e. flowers
21. The only one of the four great apes that has not been observed to make and use other
tools in the wild is the _______________.
a. gorilla
b. chimpanzee
c. bonobo
d. macaque
e. orangutan
22. Which of the following primates have been observed hunting, killing, and eating small–
to medium-sized mammals?
a. chimpanzees
b. gorillas
c. rhesus monkeys
d. bonobos
e. a and d
23. Which of the following would not be a purpose for a chimpanzee’s hunt?
a. dietary
b. political
c. sport
d. sexual
e. social
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W 24. In primates, as among many carnivores, increased _______________ seems to go
hand in hand with predation and meat eating.
a. competition
b. aggression
c. cooperation
d. envy
e. strife
25. Among bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, both male and females are organized into
_______________.
a. egalitarian groups
b. dominance hierarchies
c. balanced alliances
d. counterbalanced associations
e. blended coalitions
26. A characteristic primate activity is _______________, which is a sign of closeness
between individuals.
a. playing
b. hunting
c. gathering
d. grooming
e. trading
W 27. One form of communication appears to be unique to bonobos is/are
_______________.
a. the use of smoke signals
b. the use of hollow logs to beat out messages
c. the use of high-pitched howls
d. signing
e. trail markers
28. Bonobos will defend their immediate space through which of the following?
a. fighting
b. vocalizations
c. displays
d. facial contortions and spitting at intruders
e. b and c
29. What were the conclusions of Frans de Waals’s study of rhesus monkeys?
a. primates do not adhere to the same rules for family members and outsiders
b. there is much flexibility in primate behavior patterns
c. primates are able to resolve conflicts only with mediation
d. primates today have been affected heavily by habitat loss
e. habituation is not a difficult process
30. Frans de Waal changed the culture of rhesus monkeys so that it was more similar to that
of what other primate group?
a. capuchin monkeys
b. squirrel monkeys
c. howler monkeys
d. stumptail monkeys
e. chimpanzees
31. Bonobos hunt, but in their case it is usually the females who do so, _______________
being the most frequent prey.
a. antelope
b. zebra
c. water buffalo
d. monkeys
e. giraffe
Primate Behavior
32. The more we learn of the behavior of our nearest primate relatives,
a. the more we become aware of the insignificance of behavior of other primates.
b. the more we become aware of the importance of our uniqueness as the most evolved
primates.
c. the more we become aware of the importance of learned, socially shared practices
and knowledge in these creatures.
d. the less we need to know about other primates.
e. none of the above
33. In the same way that young Imo got her troop to begin washing sweet potatoes in
saltwater, at Kyoto University’s Koshima Island Primatology Research preserve another
young female macaque recently taught other macaques to
a. fish.
b. hunt.
c. bathe in hot water springs.
d. eat potatoes.
e. none of the above
34. The way chimpanzees in West Africa crack open oil-palm nuts requires observation and
practice. After a great deal of practice, they are proficient by the age of
a. 4 or 5.
b. 5 or 6.
c. 6 or 7.
d. 7 or 8.
e. 8 or 9.
35. A chimpanzee infant will not survive if its mother dies before it reaches the age of
______________.
a. 2 years
b. 3 years
c. 4 years
d. 5 years
e. 6 years
36. Primatologists have classified numerous chimpanzee vocalizations and visual
communication signals that convey
a. emotional states.
b. distress, fear, or excitement.
c. sensations of pleasure.
d. the arrival of individuals.
e. all of the above
37. Observers have watched young gorillas
a. somersault.
b. wrestle.
c. play game.
d. jostle for position on the top of a hill.
e. all of the above
38. Female baboons frequently choose to mate with lower-ranking males that show strong
male-female ________ actions.
a. nonverbal
b. hunting
c. language
d. affiliative
e. play
39. Experiments with captive apes, carried out over several decades, reveal that their
communicative abilities exceed what they make use of in the wild. Which of the
following is not an example of what researchers have taught the apes?
a. Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans have been taught American Sign Language.
b. Apes are able to generate original utterances.
c. Apes are able to ask questions.
d. Apes are able to tell lies.
e. Apes can speak.
Primate Behavior
40. Primates, like many animals, vocalize. They are able to
a. give warning calls.
b. give threat calls.
c. convey emotional states.
d. all of the above
e. only a and b
41. The long interval between births, particularly among apes, results in
a. small population size.
b. opportunities for young to learn how to interact.
c. fewer chances for young to make mistakes.
d. not much time to play.
e. Only a and b.
42. Grooming is a social characteristic of primates carried out for the purpose of
a. cleaning to remove parasites.
b. Social gesture of friendliness.
c. appeasement.
d. reconciliation.
e. all of the above
43. Different chimp communities have different styles of grooming. Which of the following
is untrue about grooming styles of chimp communities?
a. In one East African group two chimps groom each other face to face, with one hand,
while clasping their partner’s free hand.
b. In another East African group, 90 miles distant, the hand clasp is exactly the same as
above.
c. In East Africa, all communities incorporate leaves in their grooming.
d. In West Africa, all communities do not incorporate leaves in their grooming.
e. None of the above are untrue.
Chapter 4
W 44. ____________________ will not defend their home range against incursions of others of
their kind. _________________________ have been observed patrolling their territories
to ward off potential trespassers.
a. Chimpanzees, gorillas
b. Baboons, gorillas
c. Chimpanzees, baboons
d. Gorillas, chimpanzees
e. Orangutans, chimpanzees
45. In two Tanzanian chimpanzee communities studied, ______of the females may leave the
community they have known since birth to join another group.
a. ¾
b. none
c. ½
d. only a few
e. none of the above
46. Paleoanthropologists began in the _________________century to observe living apes to
shed light on the lifeways of the fossil species they were discovering.
a. late 17th
b. early 18th
c. mid 19th
d. mid 20th
e. late 18th
47. The hardened, nerveless buttock pads that allow baboons to sit for long periods of time
are called
a. ischial callosities.
b. posterior calluses.
c. buttock calluses.
d. ischial buttocks.
e. none of the above.
Primate Behavior
48. Which of the following contribute(s) to the behavior of nonhuman primates?
a. diet and characteristics of the ecosystem
b. type of social organization
c. reproductive patterning
d. only a
e. a, b, and c
49. A community of chimps and bonobos consists of _____________or more individuals.
a. 25
b. 50
c. 75
d. 100
e. 125
50. The male gorilla reaches sexual maturity around ____________ years of age.
a. 6-9
b. 11–13
c. 10–11
d. 15–16
e. 16–18
51. The average life span for a lemur is ____________ years.
a. under 20
b. less than 5
c. 30
d. 50
e. 70
52. It is clear that all of the great ape species can develop language skills to the level of a
____________-year-old human child.
a. 1-2
b. 2-3
c. 4-5
d. 5-6
e. 6-7
TRUE/FALSE
W 1. There is now evidence for reconciliation behavior in 25 primate species.
W 2. Comparing baboons, bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, gorillas live in the largest
groups with the most clear cut dominance hierarchy.
W 3. Tool use is a clear dividing line between humans and other primates.
W 4. Many primates are omnivores.
ANS: t PG: 94 LO: 1 MSC: New
W 5. A geographic area within which a group of primates moves is known as the home range.
6. Male orangutans may retain his adolescent physique even though his primary sex
characteristics are fully mature, allowing him to father offspring.
7. The vast number of primate species are monogamous.
8. Home ranges can be overlapping.
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85
9. Chimpanzees, bonobos, and the other apes do not possess culture.
10. Humans share with the other apes an ability to learn the complex but flexible patterns of
behavior particular to a social group during a long period of childhood dependency.
11. Many of the field studies of primates over the last forty years have been conducted by
female primatologists.
12. Bonobos and chimpanzees do not have favorite grooming partners.
13. Gorillas, though gentle and tolerant, are also aloof and independent.
14. Evolutionary biologists, dating back to Charles Darwin, have proposed that sexual
dimorphism does not relate to competition among males for access to females.
15. For primate infants and juveniles, play is more than a way to pass the hours.
16. Natural selection of beneficial social traits was probably an important influence on
human evolution.
17. Smiles and embraces have long been understood to be universal among humans and our
closest relatives.
18. It has become evident that apes are capable of understanding language quite well, even
using rudimentary grammar.
19. Chimpanzees use plants for medicinal purposes.
Chapter 4
20. Chimpanzee use of tools does not extend to using twigs as toothpicks to clean teeth and
extract loose baby teeth.
MATCHING
Match the term to the definition.
a. the group or community an animal has inhabited since birth
b. the ritual cleaning of another animal’s coat
c. mating for life with a single individual of the opposite sex
d. the time of sexual receptivity during which ovulation is visibly displayed
e. moment when an egg released from the ovaries into the womb is receptive for fertilization
1. ______ estrus
2. ______ ovulation
3. ______ monogamous
4. ______ grooming
5. ______ natal group
SHORT ANSWER
1. Discuss why anthropologists study the social behavior of primates.
2. What is grooming?
3. What is the purpose of dominance hierarchies?
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4. What is the difference between natal group and home range?
5. Describe the dilemma faced by primatologists when considering culture as a
characteristic of nonhuman primates.
6. Define a tool and explain its many purposes among nonhuman primates.
7. What can be learned from observing primate social behavior?
8. On what principle is altruism based?
9. Identify the methods used by primatologists to study language capabilities among
nonhuman primates.
10. What are the two reasons primatologists are concerned with our fossil primate past?
ESSAY
1. Describe the social characteristics of three of the primate species considered in your
textbook.
2. If you were a primatologist who was going to conduct field studies of nonhuman primates
in the wild, what techniques would you use to collect and classify the data you collect?
3. What do the findings from the studies of communication among nonhuman primates tell
you about the importance of communication in evolutionary history? How do the
communication systems differ from those used by humans?
4. Primatologists call the forced copulations by arrested male orangutans “rape.” How do
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scientists who study nonhuman primate communities prevent being influenced by their
own cultural norms?
5. What features of ape biology may be responsible for apes’ limited population size? Do
these biological limitations pertain to humans?
6. Primates are known for the capability to modify their own behavior and learn from
others. Give several examples in nonhuman and human primates. How might you suggest
the evolutionary history would be different if these capabilities had not existed?