Anthropology

Man and apes are the closest relatives in the evolutionary perspective. In the history of the earth, it is not until recently, in geological time that is, that man diverged from the tree of the ape family. However, from the moment mans earliest ancestors started to move away from the rest of the primates eventually creating a separate specie, the ties in terms of shared characteristics, behaviours and abilities between man and apes were slowly stretched farther and farther apart. Or did it The three articles presented and analyzed in this paper will provide evidence that man is, indeed, separate from, yet at the same time close to, the primates.

The article  Why we outlive our ape ancestors  would show how the specie Homo sapiens is different with the rest of the family of primates with particular respect to longevity. However, the second,  Monkeys recognize their pals in photos  sheds light on the belief that like humans, primates also have the capability to recognize somebody they knew based solely on a representation, in this case, a photograph. The last article,  Why some monkeys dont get AIDS, on the other hand will provide a deeper understanding of a disease that currently rocks the human specie by looking into the capability of some monkeys to ward off the ill-effects of the type of virus similar to the ones infecting humans. The studies cited in these articles are closely intertwined with the field of physical anthropology thus after analyzing the articles, one will surely gain a deeper appreciation of the field, in general, and its practical applications.

I. Why We Outlive Our Ape Ancestors
    One may wonder that if the chimpanzees are the nearest relative of man why then do they have a remarkably shorter life span than most humans These question was considered in a study conducted by Caleb Finch, professor in the University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology and presented in the article  Why We Outlive Our Ape Ancestors  (Bezaitis n.p.). The study found that the difference in inter-specie maximum life expectancy lies in the genes that evolved as part of dietary adaptations. Thus, humans have the capacity to outlive their immediate relatives in the animal kingdom. These findings supported evolutionary contentions that the kinds of food available to a certain specie would dictate specific changes in the genetic make-up  of that specie in order to survive.

     Finch explained that the discrepancy in life spans between humans and the chimps, and for that matter, all the other great apes, is an evolutionary response of the human genes to the regular diet (Bezaitis n.p.). The human genes evolved in such a way it can handle all the levels of infection and inflammation which are potentially present given the wide range of food sources humans utilize. Add to that is the fact that the human body is likewise bombarded with a high cholesterol diet. And in the process of adapting to these threats, the human genetic make-up was altered a little thus providing man with a relatively longer life expectancy.

    What, then, is the implication of this study to the field of physical anthropology Well, for one, the findings would further support the Darwinian perspective on evolution. The theory of evolution surmises that what the modern humans are today are but a result of adaptation to regional conditions in terms of climate, diseases and food availability. In the aforementioned study, researchers were able to kill two birds with one stone. They analyzed a phenomenon in connection with two environmental conditions   food availability and diet-caused diseases. The finding clearly demarcates the line wherein the specie Homo diverged from the others but it nonetheless point to the fact that somewhere in time modern man and the chimps as well as all other primates shared the same diet and was both vulnerable to the same diseases.       

II. Monkeys Recognize Their Pals in Photos
    The taxa Homo sapiens literally means  thinking man  or  wise man . This is a name that would separate man from the other primates. It is often assumed that other primates do not have the capacity to analyze. However, the research study conducted by the Yerkes National Primate Research at Emory University, Atlanta ( Monkeys Recognize Their Pals in Photos  n.p.) found that nonhuman primates are likewise able to recognize that images represent real life things and animals. Implied in the results of the study is the fact that primates possesses human-like capabilities, albeit on a lesser level.

    In the said study, monkeys were tested using four photographs including one they knew. They also at another set of photographs with one of a monkey they are not familiar with. The results showed that the monkeys correctly identified the odd one in the set shown them. A researcher remarked on the complexity of the task saying, This required monkeys to look at similar-looking faces and use their personal knowledge of group mates to solve the task  ( Monkeys Recognize Their Pals in Photos  n.p.). The research study provided a tangible evidence on the ability of nonhuman primates to analyze two-dimensional images and realize that they are representations of real things.

    The importance of this research study to Physical Anthropology is that it somehow looks into the evolutionary pathway in reverse. Whereas most studies would concentrate on the differences between humans and the ape ancestors, the study somehow sheds light to a rather perverted view of mans nearest relative. By understanding the mental abilities of other primates, man can gain a better appreciation of himself and his capacities. Also, this reflection would lead one to recognize the fact that modern humans are nothing but the product of a long and torturous process of trial and error aptly called evolution.

III. Why Some Monkeys Dont Get AIDS
    It is acknowledge that at some points in human history, diseases became a limiting factor for a number of populations   and this is especially true in cases of global pandemic. These past few days saw the emergence of a host of diseases new to humans and one of these is the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Unbeknownst to many, there also exist a simian counterpart of the said virus. However, a recent study showed that some monkeys are able to deter the virus or, at least, bear the brunt of the diseases without exhibiting the syndromes associated with it.

    Researchers from various universities and institutions looked into the possibility that some monkeys might have a genetic predisposition to fend off the effects of the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) ( Why Some Monkeys Dont Get AIDS  n.p.). The results showed that the sooty mangabeys of Western Africa and the African green monkeys were able to survive without even showing any outward ramifications of AIDS even after being infected with the SIV. Resistance or limitations to the progression of the AIDS came as a result of the rapid shut down of normal immune response after initial infection and thus they were able to remain healthy and active. Aside from that, researchers were able to pinpoint genes which might have caused this reaction, or perhaps the absence of it, to AIDS.

    The fact that the researchers tried to understand a diseases common to both monkeys and humans by studying some species of monkeys is noteworthy in itself. Underlying this study is the fact that the closest to the genetic structure of humans are its nearest relatives, the nonhuman primates. Hence, by trying to explore possible genetic resistance to AIDS in some monkeys, the research paved the way for those researchers in human AIDS to look into a potential genetics-based response to the disease. Interestingly, AIDS is one of the disease that was passed on to man from others in the animal kingdom   a zoonosis. Thus, it is much better to seek greater understanding of the disease in the original vulnerable group   the monkeys.