Article 9 Response Paper

Daniel Contreras
Professor Osborne
Anthropology
Mon & Wed 4:00-5:30pm
October 26, 2011

Art. 9 "Got Culture?" Response Paper

Societies all around the world contain a culture. Groups within a culture share traditions that are passed along from one generation to the next. Craig Stanford argues in his article titled "Got Culture?" that our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, share culture just as we humans do. However, there are a few who believe that associating animals with culture is nonsensical. Opponents of Stanford's argument stress that culture is exclusive to humans and that animals do not have the capability to hold such significant and "symbolic traditions" (par.2). Extensive research on wild African chimpanzees hints that culture within animals is and has been existent. Various tribes of chimpanzees, separated by geographic locations, were examined and some previously unknown facts emerged. The chimpanzee groups differed in several ways: Each developed their own tools to access food, ways of hunting and dividing prey, and indications on availability to mate.

In one group, the use of stone based tools was commonplace. Meanwhile, in another tribe, wooden tools were preferred over stone tools. The stone tools were used to break open nuts and the wooden tools to quickly collect insects from the large mounds. Interestingly, each tribe stuck to their own tools and different customs not attempting to adapt both. The differences in tools used between chimpanzee tribes is accompanied by the way they share their meals. In one chimpanzee group, only the few that hunt and kill the prey get to eat regardless of any differences between any of the chimpanzees. In contrast, some tribes distribute the food between the friends and relatives of the hunter(s).

Stanford suggests that the definition of culture be modified to include these previously shunned species. However, not all creatures have the appropriate requirements to sustain a culture. Other creatures such as dolphins and whales do not have the abilities to manipulate tools to their advantage because of their lack of "grasping appendages" that allow chimpanzees to use tools (par. 21). Along with these anatomical traits a big brain is also necessary.

After watching most of the Jane Goodall video in class this article made clear sense to me. While reading this article, I was surprised to find how much each group of chimpanzees differs even if they live near each other. Stanford's article is nicely written and I agree with his standpoint that the chimpanzees share culture just humans do within their societies.

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