Monday, April 24, 2006

Richard’s Hominini Tribal Awards “The Chimp” and “The Bonobo”

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) & bonobos (Pan paniscus) depending on which research you read, share 96% to 98% of our human genetic profile. The divergence of the chimpanzee and the bonobo lines came much later than the original split between humans and chimps from our common hominin tribal ancestor. Much of what we see today suggests that humans have perhaps done the same. The “Pet-1” gene is required for normal development of serotonin cells and if defective can lead to low serotonin (5-HIAA) levels throughout the young developing brain, which in turn results in altered behavior in adults. It is also reported that low 5-HIAA has been found in children with disruptive behaviour and in adults that display impulsive, antisocial aggressiveness. According to the TV programme “Passion And Fury: The Emotional Brain, Anger” low levels of 5-HIAA when combined with abusive or poor parental nurturing produced aggressive and antisocial adults. A thirty year study of 1000 children showed the combination was a factor in the 300 ‘problem or antisocial adults’ from the study group.

Chimpanzee social characteristics: Chimpanzees are course and hot tempered, males dominate, engage in spectacular charging strength displays, different communities engage in lethal battles and males in gangs heavily rely on each other. Males form a distinct social hierarchy with high levels of both competition and association. The adult ratio of chimpanzee populations has considerably fewer males than females. They hunt for meat, destroy their own kind and indulge in cannibalism. Chimpanzee females move to other groups, are not receptive to sex for three to four years after giving birth, then resume sexual activities for one to six months until conception.

Bonobo social characteristics: Bonobos sensitive, lively and nervous, female bonobos are much smaller than the males, however they seem to rule. Bonobos are imaginative in play, have a far more (than chimps) sensitive temperament, use sexual behaviour as a mechanism to overcome aggression even when they are out of season. On arrival in another community, young bonobo females single out one or two senior resident females for special attention to establish a relationship. Bonobo males remain attached to their mothers all their lives and are dependent on them for protection in aggressive encounters with other males. As a result, the highest-ranking males of a bonobo community tend to be sons of important females.

With all that in mind I thought it might be an idea to start special awards for those that deserve our derision and those that deserve our appreciation.

“The Chimp Award” for individuals I have called “The Trog” this year’s individual top Trog contenders so far…

Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
North Korea leader Kim Jong-il
President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
King Gyanendra of Nepal
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. leader of the Westboro Baptist Church

“The Bonobo Award” for individuals I have called “The Pani” this year’s individual top Pani contenders so far…

Aung San Suu Kyi rightful Prime Minister of Myanmar/Burma
Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
Sumi Khan, correspondent Bangladesh
Mohamed ElBaradei Head of the IAEA
Bono (Paul David Hewson) Entertainer Activist
Former British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook,

“The Chimp Award” is for groups, this year’s group contenders so far…

Janjaweed Militias Muslim Shuwa Arabs Sudan/Darfur
Saudi Religious Police (CPVPV) Saudi Arabia
The Government of Saudi Arabia
The Russian Federation
Syria’s Baath Party
Indonesia’s military the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI)
US, Queens-based Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS)
Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas USA

“The Bonobo Award” is also for groups, this years group contenders so far…

We, the World Organization
Greenpeace International
The Hague Appeal for Peace
The Jane Goodall Institute
The Australian Peace Committee
The “everyday gandhis” Organization

Vote or suggest a potential recipient by leaving a comment!

Ps: I suggest the winners could be given a plaque and perhaps free 'serotonin level' tests.

www.caliibre.com

Refs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominini
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3744
http://songweaver.com/info/bonobos.html
http://www.whozoo.org/Intro98/joyroe/joyroehtml.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominidae
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/59/66868.htm
http://salmon.psy.plym.ac.uk/year2/aggression
/aggression.html#evolutionary_psychology_perspective

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