The term culture itself is closely associated with humans and it is mostly used as a distinguishing factor between the human beings and other animals. However, studies seem to show that the term culture is not only synonymous with humans but can also be applied to some animal behaviors especially the chimpanzees. This has brought a totally different dimension to what is perceived as culture and the implications it has in the separation factor of the human and other animals.Scientists have discovered that chimpanzees do actually have culture. This ground breaking research has prompted the use of the term “culture” in which many had desisted to use since it was synonymously used in regard to humans.
Some scientists have even gone as far as to argue that they have witnessed behaviors among the chimpanzees that “resemble those in human societies”.In a journal named Nature, a group of scientists argue that even though some chimpanzee behaviors may resemble those of humans, the only differentiating factor may be that of “multiplicity of variations in technology and social customs” (Hovelt, 1999). However, the findings of various scientists can still be considered as in conclusive and thus critical and analytical research is needed.Craig Stanford who is a renowned anthropologist in the University of Southern California argues that the main difference between the chimpanzee and the human being is the difference in the size of the brain.
He thus poses various questions and one of them is what makes the human have a larger brain than other animals and especially the chimpanzee since it is also discovered to have culture like just the human being. With these scientific findings it then becomes inexpedient for humans to treat these animals well since we may have a lot in common than we can actually think (Hovelt, 1999).Referencehttp://www.archaeology.org/online/news/chimps.html
