Primates

Charles Darwin wrote that "no other member of the whole class of mammals is coloured in so extraordinary a manner as the adult male mandrill". If you've seen The Lion King you might remember the eccentric shaman Rafiki, a beautifully colored male mandrill. Want to learn how mandrills use color, vocalizations, and gestures to communicate? Check out this episode! Instagram: @the.primat...

While chimpanzees are getting into trouble, bonobos are getting it on. The aggressive, territorial chimpanzees and sexual, cooperative bonobos really represent two sides of the same coin and serve as models for both the positive and negative things that human societies are capable of. This episode skims over the structure of bonobo societies and how they use sexual contact to form and nurture soci...

Think primates are all sunshine and rainbows and cuddle piles? Think again. Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, have an incredible capacity for cognition, culture, and calculated violence. They use tools, teach region-specific techniques to their children, follow strict social rules, and, as evidenced by the great Four Years War in Gombe, Tanzania, are capable of intense, prolonged, inter-g...

Want to avoid getting a frostbitten nose? Just don't have a nose! This is just one fascinating strategy of the snub-nosed monkeys (genus Rhinopithecus) who inhabit the highest and coldest areas of China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. How else do they stay warm and healthy in these areas? Listen to find out. Find us on instagram at @the.primates.podcast Intro/outro sound licensing: Gibbons of Dusit - b...

It’s a dinosaur! It’s a bear! It’s a screaming monster! Nope, just a howler monkey, the loudest primate on earth and one of the top five loudest animals. In this episode I explore how and why howler monkeys howl so loud, and what makes their eyes and tails so special. Intro/outro sound licensing: Gibbons of Dusit - by RTB45 (https://freesound.org/people/RTB45/sounds/197567/) Electro Ambient Music:...

For the first episode we explore the Coquerel’s Sifaka, probably best known through Zoboomafoo, a beloved TV show from the 90’s and early 00’s featuring a fluffy little lemur. Sifakas, which are native to madagascar, are some of the most rare primates, and have some fascinating adaptations. Intro/outro sound licensing: Gibbons of Dusit - by RTB45 (https://freesound.org/people/RTB45/sounds/197567/)...

Hi, I'm Halle Hangen! I'm an anthropologist, primatologist, and now a podcaster. Join me each week as I do a deep dive into a different species of primate, covering everything from how their societies function, to their interesting physical characteristics, to just how close they are to humans. Thanks for listening!