三种狒狒
最近研究猴子,猴子英文中又称social climbers,猴子主要分两大类
,一类monkey,一类ape。区别在于有无尾,当然都能使用双手-进
食?这是在南非学的。
又有一个词Anthropoid,“类人猿”?又是拉丁,Greek-Latin。
我贴三张狒狒的照片吧,这三种狒狒可令人森畏。第一种狒狒据说一
口可以咬断Cheetah的脖子,也是南非学的。
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis
小狒狒和猩猩(chimps)相象,也一起玩,但长成的猩猩会捕食狒狒。
gelada baboon
Theropithecus gelada
第二种可以形成很高级的社会组织,最大的群体可有上千成员。
Mandrill Baboon
Mandrillus sphinx
这第三种又叫山魈,李贺有诗:
呼星召鬼歆杯盘,山魅食时人森寒
(《神弦》)
#######
狒狒的脑容量不小,是有尾巴的猴子中最智慧的。
- Re: 三种狒狒posted on 02/12/2008
我虽没迷过猩猩猴子,但一度迷过研究这些的女人:研究chimpanzee的Jane Goodall, gorillas的Diane Fossey, 和orangutan的Galdikas。当然更迷的是和这三个人密不可分的Leakey和Leakey一家。 - Re: 三种狒狒posted on 02/13/2008
上次我看纪录片,说非洲人吃狒狒肉的。
然后把狒狒肉弄到美国,黑人吃,还出官司。 - Re: 三种狒狒posted on 02/13/2008
浮生 wrote:
我虽没迷过猩猩猴子,但一度迷过研究这些的女人:研究chimpanzee的Jane Goodall, gorillas的Diane Fossey, 和orangutan的Galdikas。当然更迷的是和这三个人密不可分的Leakey和Leakey一家。
浮生说说为什么迷人不迷物呢?Jane我喜欢过一阵子,后来也被媒体
毁掉了。还有那个John Gould,望能多谈谈。
我这人精力有限,一时不敢迷多,象费加罗唱的:一个个来吧。 - posted on 02/13/2008
xw wrote:
浮生说说为什么迷人不迷物呢?Jane我喜欢过一阵子,后来也被媒体
毁掉了。还有那个John Gould,望能多谈谈。
迷什么也有道理可讲的么:)其实这三个女人都是因为迷Leakey的by-product,知道的也不多。Gould我不知道。Fossey死的很惨,真的是献身了。活着的Goodall和Galdikas就controversal,这些人都是有obsession的。Louis Leakey是个活宝,用现在的话说是个visionary,在多数人相信人类起源东亚的时候,他坚持在东非挖,差不多算是建了个Leakey empire吧。Louis是个show man,也是拿funding的好手,当然非常的ambitious,背后真正的动力都是寻找人类起源的passion。真正更scientist的是他的妻子Mary Leakey,没有受过正式的训练,但弄出一套分类方法,那个证明hominid直立行走的脚印也是她发现的(我是因为这个才第一次知道这一家人)。不过真正生活中Mary恐怕是那种比较dull的人,做事太认真严格了。儿子Richard一家也是子承父业,Richard人很精神年轻时的照片象派克。一家人都很了不起,长年累月就在肯尼亚的野外。后来肯尼亚独立了,Richard也没有离开,他生在那里,自认就是肯尼亚人了,后来搞自然保护。美国人知道更多的是发现Lucy的Jonanson,Leakey是英国人,这两个人当初为谁的发现是真正的人类祖先有一争。
说的不着三不着四的,还是等有时间找些文章来吧。 - Re: 三种狒狒posted on 02/14/2008
浮生虽然说得颠三倒四,却勾起我的好奇心了。:)
我有空也寻些资料,说实话,我没什么在网上找资料的天赋,经常是折腾了半天,啥也没有,然后自己就累了。 - posted on 02/14/2008
浮生就这么简单说最好,长篇大论往往过了。我读她们的书,也都有
许多图片的,这里是三位的合照。可惜我公司只让扫黑白,黑白就黑
白吧:
A photograph Dian sent to her parents, years later showing Leakey's three
"ape girls." The note accompanying the pictures reads:
"The sexy one is Birute [Galdikas], the orang girl. ...[in the middle] is the Grande
Dame of the chimps [Jane Goodall]. The jaundiced, dissipated one is your own
darling Dian."
Here I transfer an article in Chinese about them.
人猿的守护神
-------------------------------------------------
近代伟大的考古/人类学家路易.理基博士(Dr.Louis Leakey)的三位得意门生:研
究金刚猩猩的黛安.佛西(Dian Fossey);研究黑猩猩的珍.古朵(Jane Goodall );
和研究红毛猩猩的碧露蒂.高地卡斯(Birute Galdikas),人称科学界的三位天使。
其中碧露蒂是最年轻的一位,成就却毫不逊色。
人猿的三位天使
近代伟大的考古/人类学家路易.理基博士(Dr.Louis Leakey)的三位得意
门生:研究金刚猩猩的黛安.佛西(Dian Fossey);研究黑猩猩的珍.古朵(Jane Goodall
);和研究红毛猩猩的碧露蒂.高地卡斯(Birute Galdikas),人称科学界的三位天
使。其中碧露蒂是最年轻的一位,成就却毫不逊色。
红毛猩猩的天使
说年轻,生于1946年的碧露蒂今年也年届半百了,而其中的25年她则全然
奉献给了红毛猩猩的研究。碧露蒂的父母来自遥远的北国立陶宛,却相遇在二次大
战期间位于德国的难民营中。生下了碧露蒂后,举家迁往加拿大。碧露蒂从小就对
动物充满好奇,特别是猩猩们,一个伟大的愿望就在她小小的心灵中撒下了种子。
1962年碧露蒂全家又搬往阳光普照的南加州,数年后她便在UCLA展开了她的大学生
涯,攻读人类学、心理学及考古学。
而同时间,已经有两位伟大的女性,古朵博士及佛西博士,投入数年的精
力研究巨猿类中的黑猩猩及金刚猩猩,但是科学界对红毛猩猩的了解却十分有限。
年幼的梦想仍在碧露蒂心中不断扩展,她向自已承诺有朝一日一定要让它实现。
碧露蒂改变一生的抉择
在一个充满阳光的午后,碧露蒂和Rod在校园中相遇,两年之后两人携手步
上红毡,当然,他们并没有预期到日后新奇却艰苦的研究生活,同样在大学时代碧
露蒂遇见另一位改变她一生的人-理基博士,当时他因为在非洲坦尚尼亚发现数以
千计的化石而闻名于世。一日理基博士应邀到UCLA人类学的课堂上演讲,碧露蒂直
觉这个人可以帮助她实现梦想,便于课后主动和理基博士谈论自已的计画。理基博
士的反应相当冷淡,因为已有太多人向他做过类似的要求,然而当碧露蒂叙述她为
了计画已做好的准备时,理基博士发现她是认真的。第二天两人再见面时,理基博
士说:在我做决定之前,要先问你几个问题,雨林中没有医院,连紧急的状况也没
办法,那你愿意先把盲肠割除吗?碧露蒂马上回答「愿意!如果必要的话,我愿意
把扁桃腺也摘除。」被她的种种决心所打动,理基博士最后选择了碧露蒂做为他研
究巨猿类三位弟子的最后一位。两人一起共同计画该如何进行研究工作,理基博士
建议Rod陪同碧露蒂前往印尼雨林,经过一连串的讨论,Rod决定放弃电脑学业,一
同前往印尼作研究。
1971年9月,也就是和理基博士初次会面的三年后,Rod和碧露蒂先到赞助
他们研究计画的国家地理杂志(National Geographic)接受特殊的摄影训练,接着
辗转于十一月踏上了印尼的热带雨林..........
印尼热带雨林的新生活
在印尼森林部的安排下,碧露蒂的研究区设在位于婆罗洲的Tanjung Puting国
家公园,她特别将研究站(一间伐木工人遗留下来的小木屋)也是他们的"新"家,
命名为理基营(Camp Leakey),以感谢理基博士的知遇之恩。研究的路是艰辛的:
他们必须常常忍受整屋的东西被好奇的猩猩完全解体;吃饭、睡觉、洗澡均有猩猩
跟随的毫无隐私的生活;而在森林中可能苦寻数日都不见猩猩的踪影,一旦有所发
现,接下来的可能就是数天或是数周日以继夜的追踪观察。重重的挫折常让她质疑
自己的研究将何去何从,然而一年年过去,她目睹所观察的猩猩们交配、生子,乃
至下一代的成长,这般的回馈对碧露蒂来说胜于一切!
募款、演讲--让世人帮助人猿
碧露蒂进入雨林一年后的某日,早已与世隔绝的她无意间收到理基博士的
死讯。这个消息除了带给碧露蒂心灵上极大的伤痛外,更对整个研究计画的经费来
源造成了问题。一向仰赖理基博士协助寻找资金而无后顾之忧的碧露蒂,必须挑起
重担,四处募款、演讲,同时持续进行野外的研究。她在森林中观察而得的第一手
资料改变了许多世人甚至科学界对人猿的误解和无知,一篇又一篇有关碧露蒂和她
的研究的报导开始陆续出现在世界重要的媒体上,使世人有机会了解她的执著、成
就和人猿所面临的种种困境,进而感佩和支持她的梦想。
付出的代价
雨林生活回报给碧露蒂的也有残酷的一面:当初与她携手远渡重洋的Rod,
因为生活理念上的渐行渐远,两人决定分开,终而踏上离婚之途。而在雨林中出生
的长子Binti,自幼和小猩猩一同学习、玩耍、成长,渐渐出现了角色混淆的情况,
碧露蒂担心Binti缺乏和人的互动,年纪渐长后将无法适应社会生活,只好忍住内心
的伤痛,让Binti跟随父亲回到美洲大陆。
坚持理想
在碧露蒂独自面对艰苦的雨林生活时,他最好的工作夥伴Pak Bohap,一名
深悟大自然,特别是红毛猩猩的Dayak 原住民,给予她全心的支持,从工作上的户
助到生活上的互谅,数年后两人结为夫妻至今。 今年的十一月,正是碧露蒂进入雨
林的25周年纪念,这25年来她除了持续野外的研究外,更积极游说印尼政府及许多
团体推动人猿保育工作,拯救并照顾被走私、贩卖的小猩猩。同时也为追求梦想的
现代女性竖立了其一典型。在这个值得纪念的日子,让我们向这位坚持理想的人物
致上敬意!
11-1,1996
http://www.wow.org.tw/layout.php?type=page&id=96
Happy Valentine!
- posted on 07/21/2008
计算机图形学里大家爱用的一个图像,就是Mandrill那张鲜艳夺目的脸。还有初用Linux时,Mandrill也经常出现,是作为系统的名字么?一时想不起了。过了很久我才把Mandrill和山魈挂上钩。山魈总是和鬼魅连在一起说,所以最初给我的印象是神秘而可怕,原来就是Mandrill。那么可爱的脸,不可怕嘛。不过要是深更半夜从密林深处里出来就难说,况且山魈个头大,雄性极具攻击力,据说是最凶猛的猴。只是山魈分布在热带雨林,赤道附近,中国古代是哪里见到过山魈呢?是曾经有过,还是山魈别有所指?
去动物园我最爱看的就是猴啊猿啊这一类的,基本是站那里就不走,但是盯着看他们睡觉发呆还是能赶上他们嬉戏打闹就得靠运气。去次数多了,象Mountain Gorilla们的吃喝拉撒攀爬打闹都看到过了。这回也终于把Mandrill看了个仔细。发光蓝色面孔的是雌性。白面孔通红鼻梁嘴唇的是雄性,个头也大,而色彩更加斑斓的还不止是面部,这些颜色是性成熟的标志也是性选择的结果。
- posted on 07/22/2008
浮生 wrote:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/fushengfoto/SITddIrEGII/AAAAAAAABH0/qKFViOoz6pA/s400/IMG_6284.JPG" border=1> 计算机图形学里大家爱用的一个图像,就是Mandrill那张鲜艳夺目的脸。还有初用Linux时,Mandrill也经常出现,是作为系统的名字么?一时想不起了。过了很久我才把Mandrill和山魈挂上钩。山魈总是和鬼魅连在一起说,所以最初给我的印象是神秘而可怕,原来就是Mandrill。那么可爱的脸,不可怕嘛。不过要是深更半夜从密林深处里出来就难说,况且山魈个头大,雄性极具攻击力,据说是最凶猛的猴。只是山魈分布在热带雨林,赤道附近,中国古代是哪里见到过山魈呢?是曾经有过,还是山魈别有所指?
也说不定,在不很久远前的新石器时代,世界各地都有狮子,中亚草
原上森林湖泊密布。N年前讨论过山海经中的犰狳,好象现在也只有
美洲有。但中国有穿山甲那是肯定的。
还有一种狒狒叫Drill的,最近一期美国国家地理上有专询,是在象牙
海岸附近的一个自然岛屿上:
Bioko Drill 鬼狒 Mandrillus leucophaeus poensis
去动物园我最爱看的就是猴啊猿啊这一类的,基本是站那里就不走,但是盯着看他们睡觉发呆还是能赶上他们嬉戏打闹就得靠运气。去次数多了,象Mountain Gorilla们的吃喝拉撒攀爬打闹都看到过了。这回也终于把Mandrill看了个仔细。发光蓝色面孔的是雌性。白面孔通红鼻梁嘴唇的是雄性,个头也大,而色彩更加斑斓的还不止是面部,这些颜色是性成熟的标志也是性选择的结果。
上回在里约动物园,也看到一家Mandrill的,好幸福的父亲啊,一直
向人夸耀似的,却不让人看屁股。看灵长类,愈高级的,愈喜欢与他
对视,就象穿过几千万年时空的交融。
又是在纽约动物园的猩猩馆了解到,最近有人目击一千两百多只山魈
的群体社会,也有录像场面。看来,Geladas有所不及啊。(群体愈
大,愈复杂的社会,智力逼着要发达)
上回去马达加斯加馆,买了两只猴子玩具,一只狐猴,看着象棕毛狗
,绝可看的。就有人纳闷了,哪有这么神态的狗呢?
我说:这是灵长类的狗呀,这灵长类可不是白进化来的。
red-ruffed lemur
&
不喜欢“性成熟的标志也是性选择的结果”,太专业。谢谢我的猴知
音浮生,古人爱琴爱猿,看来是不虚也:)
- Re: Mandrillposted on 07/22/2008
xw wrote:
也说不定,在不很久远前的新石器时代,世界各地都有狮子,中亚草
原上森林湖泊密布。N年前讨论过山海经中的犰狳,好象现在也只有
美洲有。但中国有穿山甲那是肯定的。
没有那么久,最后一次看到野生的亚洲狮是1941年,在伊朗。印度现在还有三百多头人工饲养的亚洲狮。
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_Lion - Re: Mandrillposted on 07/22/2008
印度那些好像应该算野生的? - posted on 07/22/2008
行人 wrote:
xw wrote:没有那么久,最后一次看到野生的亚洲狮是1941年,在伊朗。印度现在还有三百多头人工饲养的亚洲狮。
也说不定,在不很久远前的新石器时代,世界各地都有狮子,中亚草
原上森林湖泊密布。N年前讨论过山海经中的犰狳,好象现在也只有
美洲有。但中国有穿山甲那是肯定的。
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_Lion
谢谢行人指正。Good knowledge! 那欧洲狮呢?还有,美洲有
没有狮?
澳洲(大洋洲)恐怕是没有。
- Re: Mandrillposted on 07/22/2008
xw wrote:
那欧洲狮呢?还有,美洲有没有狮?
澳洲(大洋洲)恐怕是没有。
好像欧洲狮,美洲狮很早就绝种了。
去年在 Xcaret 的动物园里看见 Jaguar 发脾气,那样子真凶,怀疑狮子老虎都不是对手。 - posted on 07/30/2008
以前以为银背是老猴儿,好像人老了头发要变白一样,原来成年雄性大猩猩都是银背。那天在动物园看到的那只是十九岁,山地大猩猩,正当年。同时见到的还有三只母猩猩,个子小很多,不记得她们叫什么了。
三只母猩猩挤到紧闭的一道铁门前,挤挤闹闹的好像在争谁在前,争争就打起来。刚还在那儿坐着出神的银背咚咚咚冲将过去——原来大猩猩可以跑的很快——很凶的样子,三只母猩猩立即散开,退避三尺。下午四点半,快到吃饭的时候了。有银背守在门边,谁也不敢靠近。守了半天没有动静,银背还撅起屁股往门缝里看。大家知道这次食物不从这道门里来了,又各回各位,蹲在一片小高地上,一齐望着房顶,银背占据了最有利地形。
果然几分钟后,一棵棵生菜从房顶落下来,接着是一把把的Cheerios。银背只蹲在那看东西落在哪里,不急着捡。有一把Cheerios落到他身上,他下意识的一躲,然后抬起头很不快地瞪了房顶一眼。
一只母猩猩一会儿手里就抱了两棵生菜,又从高地上下来,捡了第三棵,都抱着,然后腾出一只手先捡食地上的Cheerios。吃的差不多了,才一个人走的远远的去享用生菜。
等食物发放完毕,银背才从身边捡起棵生菜吃,不急不忙,然后又捡一棵。另一只母猩猩距银背不远,也在吃生菜,又捡食Cheerios,都在自己附近,与银背两不相涉。后来看到,这只猩猩怀孕了。
那第三只母猩猩却是一棵菜都没有捡到,离银背不远地上的菜她也不去拿,只在附近徘徊。旁边树干旁撒了不少Cheerios,看样子这些猩猩都爱的,可是她不去捡——我在玻璃后边看着都替她着急。等银背吃好了菜,慢慢捡食身边的Cheerios,又由近及远的离开了蹲着的地方到了树干旁。这什么没吃到的母猩猩才试探着挪过去,在银背已经捡过的草丛中又细细疏理一遍,遇到遗漏的就放到嘴里——原来早先她是不敢捡。我先以为这是只老猩猩,没有能力和别人争,后来看说明,她们都比银背小,这一只当初见了银背还是一见钟情。
三只母猩猩都是那银背的后宫。
猩猩们的行为和人简直一模一样。按说动物园里最不缺吃少穿,最终肯定谁也饿不着,可是一样要争先恐后。性格的强弱,主导从属的地位也是天生使然。 - posted on 01/16/2009
浮生好样的。观察细致,表达清晰,简炼,依我说,这就是真正的科
学精神,难怪有自己的思想。
好的是,人类并未一味向大猩猩一线溜进。
###
前不久翻过一本狒狒书,专讲Papio这属,以前我也分不清Chacma
还是Olive的,现在分得清楚了,这就是进步嘛:-)
Hamadryas Baboon(Papio Hamadryas)
Der Mantelpavian -- 最后的晚餐?
&
Papio papio
Guinea Baboon
&
Papio anubis
Olive Baboon
&
Papio cynocephalus
Yellow Baboon (There are three subspecies of it:
Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus (typical Yellow Baboon)
Papio cynocephalus ibeanus (Ibean Baboon)
Papio cynocephalus kindae (Kinda Baboon))
Papio ursinus
Chacma Baboon, also named 'Cape Baboon', There are also three subspecies
in it:
Papio ursinus ursinus (Cape Chacma)
Papio ursinus griseipes (Gray-footed Chacma)
Papio ursinus raucana (Ruacana Chacma)
- posted on 01/19/2009
浮生 wrote:
计算机图形学里大家爱用的一个图像,就是Mandrill那张鲜艳夺目的脸。还有初用Linux时,Mandrill也经常出现,是作为系统的名字么?一时想不起了。过了很久我才把Mandrill和山魈挂上钩。山魈总是和鬼魅连在一起说,所以最初给我的印象是神秘而可怕,原来就是Mandrill。那么可爱的脸,不可怕嘛。不过要是深更半夜从密林深处里出来就难说,况且山魈个头大,雄性极具攻击力,据说是最凶猛的猴。只是山魈分布在热带雨林,赤道附近,中国古代是哪里见到过山魈呢?是曾经有过,还是山魈别有所指?
去动物园我最爱看的就是猴啊猿啊这一类的,基本是站那里就不走,但是盯着看他们睡觉发呆还是能赶上他们嬉戏打闹就得靠运气。去次数多了,象Mountain Gorilla们的吃喝拉撒攀爬打闹都看到过了。这回也终于把Mandrill看了个仔细。发光蓝色面孔的是雌性。白面孔通红鼻梁嘴唇的是雄性,个头也大,而色彩更加斑斓的还不止是面部,这些颜色是性成熟的标志也是性选择的结果。
《人类的由来》末尾附录一节专谈山魈,连带多种狒狒甚至猕猴等的
特珠致意方式。这里的狒狒还是旧名称体系吧?觉着直接!
The Descent Of Man
http://www.darwin-literature.com/The_Descent_Of_Man/24.html
Supplemental Note
ON SEXUAL SELECTION IN RELATION TO MONKEYS.
Reprinted from NATURE, November 2, 1876, p. 18.
In the discussion on Sexual Selection in my 'Descent of Man,' no case
interested and perplexed me so much as the brightly-coloured hinder ends
and adjoining parts of certain monkeys. As these parts are more brightly
coloured in one sex than the other, and as they become more brilliant
during the season of love, I concluded that the colours had been gained as
a sexual attraction. I was well aware that I thus laid myself open to
ridicule; though in fact it is not more surprising that a monkey should
display his bright-red hinder end than that a peacock should display his
magnificent tail. I had, however, at that time no evidence of monkeys
exhibiting this part of their bodies during their courtship; and such
display in the case of birds affords the best evidence that the ornaments
of the males are of service to them by attracting or exciting the females.
I have lately read an article by Joh. von Fischer, of Gotha, published in
'Der Zoologische Garten,' April 1876, on the expression of monkeys under
various emotions, which is well worthy of study by any one interested in
the subject, and which shews that the author is a careful and acute
observer. In this article there is an account of the behaviour of a young
male mandrill when he first beheld himself in a looking-glass, and it is
added, that after a time he turned round and presented his red hinder end
to the glass. Accordingly I wrote to Herr J. von Fischer to ask what he
supposed was the meaning of this strange action, and he has sent me two
long letters full of new and curious details, which will, I hope, be
hereafter published. He says that he was himself at first perplexed by the
above action, and was thus led carefully to observe several individuals of
various other species of monkeys, which he has long kept in his house. He
finds that not only the mandrill (Cynocephalus mormon) but the drill (C.
leucophaeus) and three other kinds of baboons (C. hamadryas, sphinx, and
babouin), also Cynopithecus niger, and Macacus rhesus and nemestrinus, turn
this part of their bodies, which in all these species is more or less
brightly coloured, to him when they are pleased, and to other persons as a
sort of greeting. He took pains to cure a Macacus rhesus, which he had
kept for five years, of this indecorous habit, and at last succeeded.
These monkeys are particularly apt to act in this manner, grinning at the
same time, when first introduced to a new monkey, but often also to their
old monkey friends; and after this mutual display they begin to play
together. The young mandrill ceased spontaneously after a time to act in
this manner towards his master, von Fischer, but continued to do so towards
persons who were strangers and to new monkeys. A young Cynopithecus niger
never acted, excepting on one occasion, in this way towards his master, but
frequently towards strangers, and continues to do so up to the present
time. From these facts Von Fischer concludes that the monkeys which
behaved in this manner before a looking-glass (viz., the mandrill, drill,
Cynopithecus niger, Macacus rhesus and nemestrinus) acted as if their
reflection were a new acquaintance. The mandrill and drill, which have
their hinder ends especially ornamented, display it even whilst quite
young, more frequently and more ostentatiously than do the other kinds.
Next in order comes Cynocephalus hamadryas, whilst the other species act in
this manner seldomer. The individuals, however, of the same species vary
in this respect, and some which were very shy never displayed their hinder
ends. It deserves especial attention that Von Fischer has never seen any
species purposely exhibit the hinder part of its body, if not at all
coloured. This remark applies to many individuals of Macacus cynomolgus
and Cercocebus radiatus (which is closely allied to M. rhesus), to three
species of Cercopithecus and several American monkeys. The habit of
turning the hinder ends as a greeting to an old friend or new acquaintance,
which seems to us so odd, is not really more so than the habits of many
savages, for instance that of rubbing their bellies with their hands, or
rubbing noses together. The habit with the mandrill and drill seems to be
instinctive or inherited, as it was followed by very young animals; but it
is modified or guided, like so many other instincts, by observation, for
Von Fischer says that they take pains to make their display fully; and if
made before two observers, they turn to him who seems to pay the most
attention.
With respect to the origin of the habit, Von Fischer remarks that his
monkeys like to have their naked hinder ends patted or stroked, and that
they then grunt with pleasure. They often also turn this part of their
bodies to other monkeys to have bits of dirt picked off, and so no doubt it
would be with respect to thorns. But the habit with adult animals is
connected to a certain extent with sexual feelings, for Von Fischer watched
through a glass door a female Cynopithecus niger, and she during several
days, "umdrehte und dem Mannchen mit gurgelnden Tonen die stark gerothete
Sitzflache zeigte, was ich fruher nie an diesem Thier bemerkt hatte. Beim
Anblick dieses Gegenstandes erregte sich das Mannchen sichtlich, denn es
polterte heftig an den Staben, ebenfalls gurgelnde Laute ausstossend." As
all the monkeys which have the hinder parts of their bodies more or less
brightly coloured live, according to Von Fischer, in open rocky places, he
thinks that these colours serve to render one sex conspicuous at a distance
to the other; but, as monkeys are such gregarious animals, I should have
thought that there was no need for the sexes to recognise each other at a
distance. It seems to me more probable that the bright colours, whether on
the face or hinder end, or, as in the mandrill, on both, serve as a sexual
ornament and attraction. Anyhow, as we now know that monkeys have the
habit of turning their hinder ends towards other monkeys, it ceases to be
at all surprising that it should have been this part of their bodies which
has been more or less decorated. The fact that it is only the monkeys thus
characterised which, as far as at present known, act in this manner as a
greeting towards other monkeys renders it doubtful whether the habit was
first acquired from some independent cause, and that afterwards the parts
in question were coloured as a sexual ornament; or whether the colouring
and the habit of turning round were first acquired through variation and
sexual selection, and that afterwards the habit was retained as a sign of
pleasure or as a greeting, through the principle of inherited association.
This principle apparently comes into play on many occasions: thus it is
generally admitted that the songs of birds serve mainly as an attraction
during the season of love, and that the leks, or great congregations of the
black-grouse, are connected with their courtship; but the habit of singing
has been retained by some birds when they feel happy, for instance by the
common robin, and the habit of congregating has been retained by the black-
grouse during other seasons of the year.
I beg leave to refer to one other point in relation to sexual selection.
It has been objected that this form of selection, as far as the ornaments
of the males are concerned, implies that all females within the same
district must possess and exercise exactly the same taste. It should,
however, be observed, in the first place, that although the range of
variation of a species may be very large, it is by no means indefinite. I
have elsewhere given a good instance of this fact in the pigeon, of which
there are at least a hundred varieties differing widely in their colours,
and at least a score of varieties of the fowl differing in the same kind of
way; but the range of colour in these two species is extremely distinct.
Therefore the females of natural species cannot have an unlimited scope for
their taste. In the second place, I presume that no supporter of the
principle of sexual selection believes that the females select particular
points of beauty in the males; they are merely excited or attracted in a
greater degree by one male than by another, and this seems often to depend,
especially with birds, on brilliant colouring. Even man, excepting perhaps
an artist, does not analyse the slight differences in the features of the
woman whom he may admire, on which her beauty depends. The male mandrill
has not only the hinder end of his body, but his face gorgeously coloured
and marked with oblique ridges, a yellow beard, and other ornaments. We
may infer from what we see of the variation of animals under domestication,
that the above several ornaments of the mandrill were gradually acquired by
one individual varying a little in one way, and another individual in
another way. The males which were the handsomest or the most attractive in
any manner to the females would pair oftenest, and would leave rather more
offspring than other males. The offspring of the former, although
variously intercrossed, would either inherit the peculiarities of their
fathers or transmit an increased tendency to vary in the same manner.
Consequently the whole body of males inhabiting the same country would tend
from the effects of constant intercrossing to become modified almost
uniformly, but sometimes a little more in one character and sometimes in
another, though at an extremely slow rate; all ultimately being thus
rendered more attractive to the females. The process is like that which I
have called unconscious selection by man, and of which I have given several
instances. In one country the inhabitants value a fleet or light dog or
horse, and in another country a heavier and more powerful one; in neither
country is there any selection of individual animals with lighter or
stronger bodies and limbs; nevertheless after a considerable lapse of time
the individuals are found to have been modified in the desired manner
almost uniformly, though differently in each country. In two absolutely
distinct countries inhabited by the same species, the individuals of which
can never during long ages have intermigrated and intercrossed, and where,
moreover, the variations will probably not have been identically the same,
sexual selection might cause the males to differ. Nor does the belief
appear to me altogether fanciful that two sets of females, surrounded by a
very different environment, would be apt to acquire somewhat different
tastes with respect to form, sound, or colour. However this may be, I have
given in my 'Descent of Man' instances of closely-allied birds inhabiting
distinct countries, of which the young and the females cannot be
distinguished, whilst the adult males differ considerably, and this may be
attributed with much probability to the action of sexual selection.
The Complete Works of Charles Darwin: http://www.darwin-literature.com/
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