Astounding Facts About Primates that Never Cease to Amaze
10. Primates like to play.
If you think back to your childhood, some of your favorite memories probably enjoy you playing, maybe on the playground, in a swimming pool, or with your favorite toy from the toy box. Furthermore, be honest with yourself, do you still enjoy playing? You probably play a board game with your kids or a round of cards with some friends. Primates enjoy playing; in fact, they are one of the most playful kinds of animals that scientists are aware of. Moreover, the purpose of play in primates seems to be very similar to that in humans: to help children learn social behaviors and other skills necessary for a meaningful and productive adulthood. In other words, the more we play, the stronger our brains become!
What does play look like for primates? Not all that different from what it looks like in children. Instead of swinging from the jungle gym, monkeys use their tails to play by hanging from the trees. They also like to turn their favorite adults into playsets (remember when your parents or grandparents used to give you “the claw”?), and some even play with their food! Researchers have taught monkeys and other primates to play games, though there is little chance that you would enjoy playing with them. Watching monkeys and other primates play can be truly amusing and may even make you want to get out to the playground yourself, no matter how old you are.
If you think back to your childhood, some of your favorite memories probably enjoy you playing, maybe on the playground, in a swimming pool, or with your favorite toy from the toy box. Furthermore, be honest with yourself, do you still enjoy playing? You probably play a board game with your kids or a round of cards with some friends. Primates enjoy playing; in fact, they are one of the most playful kinds of animals that scientists are aware of. Moreover, the purpose of play in primates seems to be very similar to that in humans: to help children learn social behaviors and other skills necessary for a meaningful and productive adulthood. In other words, the more we play, the stronger our brains become!
What does play look like for primates? Not all that different from what it looks like in children. Instead of swinging from the jungle gym, monkeys use their tails to play by hanging from the trees. They also like to turn their favorite adults into playsets (remember when your parents or grandparents used to give you “the claw”?), and some even play with their food! Researchers have taught monkeys and other primates to play games, though there is little chance that you would enjoy playing with them. Watching monkeys and other primates play can be truly amusing and may even make you want to get out to the playground yourself, no matter how old you are.
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13 September 2022
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