Susan Savage-Rumbaugh: The gentle genius of bonobos

http://www.ted.com Savage-Rumbaugh's work with bonobo apes, which can understand spoken language and learn tasks by watching, forces the audience to rethink how much of what a species can do is determined by biology -- and how much by cultural exposure.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
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[Vonnegut kirt]

Why is it the male bonobos are shown using tools and female bonobos are represented as bad drivers? Gee, wonder if there isn't any cultural bias there. The females are what make bonobos nonviolent, but all we see is a focus on males. Why are humans so fucking stupid?

[Kyee71]

Hello, at no point did she say Lucy was from Australia, she said Lucy was an Australopithecine 3:25

The term australopithecine refers generally to any species in the related genera Australopithecus.

Have a wonderful day.

[nalini lotus]

also after he lights the fire does he drop the lighter immediately so near the flames? the picture is not clear to me at the moment so i cant help but ask if he drops the lighter. if so it could explode on him in the fire leading me to ask if he is able to understand the consequences of fire rather than the fascination of starting it and pleasing the trainer- but was he able to grasp fire safety concept. i think its incredible alone that he was not instinctively afraid of fire all the same.

[nalini lotus]

so it would be the bonobo being portrayed with its bone structure in this particular study that portrays a right arm to be significantly longer than the left arm. This did not seem to come from the swivel of the hips when bonobos walk but rather my suspicion is that how ever well this video was put 2gether that this exact reconstruction could be off or do bonobos actually have one arm longer than its counter arm?or was this just a flaw n the reconstruction at 3:41,curiosity rather than criticism

[nalini lotus]

at 3:41 i cant help but notice how unequal the arm measurement is on the primate2the right side of "lucy". It seems that the reconstruction of the bones is off a bit- not sure how significant this is but it appears2me there is some flaws in this portrayal despite how entertaining and informative the info is.left arm being longer than the right arm.I think that the accuracy may be lacking unless the demonstrations in bones used is generally with one arm being significantly longer than other

[AverusBlack]

Saying evolution is a belief gives credence to the idiots who treat it like it's a religion. It's an accepted scientific theory, there is no belief here. No leap of faith. Just evidence, observation and empirical facts.

Though you're right, anyone who doesn't take evolution seriously is pretty much sticking their fingers in their ears going LALALALALALA WHERES THE EVIDENCE LALALALALLA

[7within]

Darwin's past life might've evovle from a Ape but not everyone we came to this planet on the Vimanas lol

[goldgem2]

I just went here to see the video of monkeys not people fighting over whether or not they believe in evolution...

[dholmain29]

Wow that's really interesting how intelligent Bonobos are! Wow!

[xWookieProductionsx]

Hahaha! Definition of cool! ;)

[goddessoflubbock]

It's heartbreaking to see them locked up like that. Bonobos normally have "sex breaks" several times a day. The one was begging to go outside. Sad :(

[Deni Bell]

Right!? I am an anthropology and psychology major... I definitely want to spend the rest of my life studying primates! LOL! We are so cool! Pahahaha!