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Orangutans Helping Discover Our Evolution

Posted by michael on from the hints-from-heloise dept.

DiZASTiX writes "An article at MSNBC says, Orangutans share distinct "tricks of the trade" for feeding, nesting and communicating. Scientists say these behaviors represent humanlike culture. The discovery offers tantalizing new clues about our own evolution. By documenting these behaviors scientists are finding more and more information on our past. We may be more related to monkeys than we think."

3 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. Orangutans are apes by Ridcully · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ook?

    No, I'm sure Michael did not mean to imply orangutans are monk-

    Eek!

    are not apes.

    Ook.

  2. man, that's a low standard by josephgrossberg · · Score: 3, Funny

    My cats learn from watching each other all the time (primarily how to get into all sorts of mischief). That doesn't mean they have culture!

    --

    Joe
    http://www.joegrossberg.com
    1. Re:man, that's a low standard by budalite · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, then you have un-cultured cats, as we always suspected. :) I wonder at the tendency of science to quantumize everything. Why does a species have to intelligent or not, be cultured or not, have consciousness or not? I suspect it's more analog, from none to a little to some more to a lot. Unless they are cats. Then all bets are off.