Chapter 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chapter 6 - Essay Example The author has also inquired into the situation of both groups of primates not inter breeding yet sharing the food and other resources of the forests. Therefore the author believes that biological and behavioural behaviour of these two species of primates is worth re-examination . The author goes on to study their dietary habits and role of protein based food on their evolution. According to Craig B,this may actually "offer clues to aspects of ecological divergence among early members of the hominid phylogeny" and this is indeed the primary aim of his research. The reason this paper is addressing an important issue of physical/biological anthropology is that it shows how all primates have different dietary, sexual and behavioural habits based on their gene structure and habitat adaptation. On the basis of the study of these two species the writer has been able to draw conclusions on how the hominoids who were some kind of ancestors to these primates(although not entirely genetically) might have lived once upon a time . Based on these conclusions Craig then sums up that given that Miocene apes or Pliocene hominids had lived sympatric lives as well just like the apes and gorillas then they would have probably shared the food and environment in the same ways as well. It would be possible to discern their dietary and sexual patterns from the study of these much evolved apes . 3.What specific evidence, facts and/or examples did the author(s) offer to support their argument The author has included the statistics from his research in the form of tables and charts to show the numerical and empirical evidence collected from his findings and he made certain conclusions as to the range, diet and sexual habits of these two kinds of primates. His argument that the study of these more evolved primates will give an insight into the habits of the Hominoids and the extinct apes ,supported by evidence from other scholars and his own research. For example he points out that Chimpanzees and gorillas in sympatric are confronted with the same available resource bas, (yet)..Chimpanzees make intensive use of this prey base, but gorillas do not.. And then he goes on to link this with his finding about the dietary methods of Hominoids by saying that "An adaptation to meat-eating may have characterized the hominid adaptation during the divergence of the hominoid lineages. ancestral apes made the transition to greater body size and social complexity only because of the Added nutritional profile provided by a meatier diet." In this way he compares And provides evidence to show how the behaviour of the modern apes can help study the behaviour of the extinct species. 4.Did the author address any contrary evidence or the opinions/work of others that run counter the author(s) claims The author has not exactly addressed any contrary evidence which may possibly be a weakness of his argument. He has quoted many writers to go with his research and made a very strong connection between the two species in the modern and pre-historic settings. However he does