The Cultural Barrier Between Chimpanzees and Humans
Is Culture a “Golden Barrier?”
Numerous studies have been conducted specifically on chimpanzees in order to determine whether culture exists in their species. Scientists argue about the existence of a cultural “golden barrier” between chimpanzees and humans. A golden barrier meaning the existence of a difference in chimpanzee and human culture. I believe that humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) both have the ability of cultural transmission, therefore both humans and chimpanzees have some sort of culture. However, the level of culture which humans and chimpanzees have is where they differ. The definition of culture to me is a species that has the abilities of cultural accumulation, cultural fidelity, cultural diversity, and cultural learning. By analyzing scientific studies of cultural fidelity, diversity, accumulation, and learning in humans and chimpanzees, I argue that while the species share fidelity and diversity, the differences in accumulation and learning methods create the perceived golden barrier between cultures.
Cultural fidelity is the ability of an individual to go into a group from a different group and adopting their behaviors. (Boesch 2003) I believe this concept is a key determinant of whether or not culture does exist in chimpanzees and since chimpanzees do have this ability, they do have culture. For example, chimpanzees in Tai are divided into northern and southern groups and the behaviors of the southern group are kept there and the same for the northern behaviors. These behaviors include cracking nuts with hammers and dipping for ants with short sticks in the north. In the south they dip for ants with a leaf (Boesch 2003). Mechanisms of cultural fidelity can be seen with the constant conservation of the cultures established in an area. On the other hand, humans also adopt the behaviors of a group in order to “fit in” (Wang 2011). When a new trend is created in culture by humans it is quickly adopted by people of the same
Numerous studies have been conducted specifically on chimpanzees in order to determine whether culture exists in their species. Scientists argue about the existence of a cultural “golden barrier” between chimpanzees and humans. A golden barrier meaning the existence of a difference in chimpanzee and human culture. I believe that humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) both have the ability of cultural transmission, therefore both humans and chimpanzees have some sort of culture. However, the level of culture which humans and chimpanzees have is where they differ. The definition of culture to me is a species that has the abilities of cultural accumulation, cultural fidelity, cultural diversity, and cultural learning. By analyzing scientific studies of cultural fidelity, diversity, accumulation, and learning in humans and chimpanzees, I argue that while the species share fidelity and diversity, the differences in accumulation and learning methods create the perceived golden barrier between cultures.
Cultural fidelity is the ability of an individual to go into a group from a different group and adopting their behaviors. (Boesch 2003) I believe this concept is a key determinant of whether or not culture does exist in chimpanzees and since chimpanzees do have this ability, they do have culture. For example, chimpanzees in Tai are divided into northern and southern groups and the behaviors of the southern group are kept there and the same for the northern behaviors. These behaviors include cracking nuts with hammers and dipping for ants with short sticks in the north. In the south they dip for ants with a leaf (Boesch 2003). Mechanisms of cultural fidelity can be seen with the constant conservation of the cultures established in an area. On the other hand, humans also adopt the behaviors of a group in order to “fit in” (Wang 2011). When a new trend is created in culture by humans it is quickly adopted by people of the same