Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 17, 2017

Infant Chimp Snatched and Cannibalized Moments After Its Birth

Moments after a wild chimpanzee was born, an adult chimp snatched the infant away from its mother and cannibalized it, according to a new study that is the first to document this macabre behavior. This new finding, along with additional prior work, suggests that female chimpanzees might often go and...

Nov 3, 2017

New Orangutan Species Is World's Most Endangered Great Ape

An isolated group of orangutans hiding out in a forest in Sumatra is now considered an entirely new species and the world's most endangered great ape, researchers say. Until now, scientists had long recognized six species of living great apes (not including humans): Sumatran orangutans, Bornean orangutans, eastern gorillas, western...

Nov 9, 2017

Here's Another Reason Bonobo 'Hippie Chimps' Are Awesome

Bonobos, one of our closest primate relatives, could teach some humans a thing or two about helping others before being asked. These predominantly peaceful primates — sometimes called hippie chimps, as they are known to be less aggressive and more altruistic than chimpanzees — tend to look out for one...

Nov 16, 2017

Like Humans, Chimps Try Harder to Warn Unaware Pals

If you saw someone step into the street, oblivious to a car speeding toward them, you might yell or wave your arms to get their attention and let them know that they were in danger. And now, scientists have discovered that chimpanzees perform similarly exaggerated warning calls and gestures when...

Jan 11, 2018

Don't Touch the Monkeys! Florida Macaques Carry Virus Lethal to Humans

Visitors to Florida's Silver Springs State Park should avoid monkeying around with the reserve's feral macaques; officials warn that the primates carry a strain of the herpes virus that can be fatal to humans. About 175 free-roaming rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) inhabit the park, descended from a population of around...

Jan 24, 2018

Monkeys Have Been Cloned, Paving the Way for Human Cloning

Scientists in China have cloned two bouncing baby monkeys, theoretically opening the door for the cloning of humans. However, the researchers stressed that they have no intention of cloning humans. I would think that the society and general public and the government will not allow the extension of application of...

Apr 4, 2018

Snow Monkeys Love Hot Baths Just Like Humans Do, and Now We Know Why

Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, have been spotted taking baths in man-made hot springs during winter for decades. Now, researchers have discovered exactly why the monkeys do this. The results are not exactly Earth-shattering: The monkeys are cold. But the researchers also found that indulging in a hot-spring bath may...

Apr 12, 2018

Mystery Mummy Found in Ceiling of Minneapolis Department Store

There is a mummy mystery in Minnesota: How did a dead monkey end up in a department store ceiling? The mystery broke on April 8, when an image of the mummified monkey appeared on the Old Minneapolis Facebook page. The photo was submitted by a man who claimed to be...

Apr 12, 2018

Chimps Seen Sucking Brains from Monkeys' Heads

Chimpanzees are primarily plant eaters, though they enthusiastically eat animals when they can catch them, and monkeys are an especially desirable treat. But once the snack is in hand — and with so many delicious body parts to choose from — which do the predatory primates eat first? Wonder no...

May 2, 2018

Half of Western Lowland Gorillas May Vanish by 2040. Here's How We Can Prevent That. (Op-Ed)

The first time one of us (Fiona Maisels) came face-to-face with a gorilla, in 1988, the animal shouted loudly and repeatedly charged within a few feet of her for half an hour. It felt like an eternity. The research station director, Caroline Tutin, had given sage advice: If charged, stand,...

May 2, 2018

Photos: See Gorillas and Chimpanzees in Their Native Forests

Great ape populations (Image credit: Forrest Hogg/WCS)In the rainforests of the Republic of Congo, a western lowland gorilla gazes into the canopy of branches above. Following a 10-year-long study in Western Equatorial Africa of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes), researchers now know there...

May 17, 2018

Why Your Bed Is 'Dirtier' Than a Jungle-Dwelling Chimp's Bed

When you burrow under your blankets and snuggle up to your pillow in bed, you're never alone — the trillions of microbes that make up your microbiome are right there with you, and many of them are left in your bed even when you aren't there. As it turns out,...

Jun 21, 2018

Koko, the Gorilla Who Used Sign Language, Is Dead at 46

Koko, the western lowland gorilla who signed her way into people's hearts, died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 46. Arguably the best-known gorilla in captivity, Koko died yesterday morning (June 20), according to a statement issued by The Gorilla Foundation (TGF), the nonprofit gorilla conservation organization responsible...

Sep 6, 2018

Man Breaks into Zoo and Tries to Steal a Squirrel Monkey. Gets Manhandled.

In April, a 23-year-old man broke into a New Zealand zoo to catch a squirrel monkey as a gift for his girlfriend, according to the New Zealand Herald. He didn't succeed and ended up injuring and traumatizing the monkeys. Months later, one of the little primates is still displaying signs...

Nov 6, 2018

Earth's Smallest Ape Weighed 8 lbs., Lived 12.5 Million Years Ago

The remains of the smallest ape ever known to walk the Earth may have been discovered in the hills of Kenya, scientists say. Weighing around 7.7 pounds (3.5 kilograms), the ape lived around 12.5 million years ago in Kenya. While other species of small ape are known to have existed,...