We did not defy the laws of nature. We are simply the ape that got lucky. ibid.
Human brains have about 40% more connections between cortical neurons than the brains of other primates. Alice Roberts, Horizon: What Makes Us Human? BBC 2013
The story starts millions of years ago with an ape who stood upright and walked. Dr Alice Roberts, Origins of Us 1/3: Bones, BBC 2011
We are so closely related to chimpanzees we share nearly 99% of our DNA with them. ibid.
We have a common ancestor with chimpanzees going back about six or seven million years ago. So I’m here visiting my relatives. ibid.
Lucy still appears very ape-like. And her brain was very similar in size to a chimpanzee’s. But becoming a walking ape had fundamentally changed the shape of her body. ibid.
There once was a brainy baboon,
Who always breathed down a bassoon,
For he said, It appears
That in billions of years
I shall certainly hit on a tune. Arthur Stanley Eddington, New Pathways in Science, 1939
The jungles of Borneo are home to some of the most unusual primates on the planet. Dr George McGavin, Monkey World I
Roughly 400 species of primate in the world. ibid.
In the 21st century the ultimate challenge to any monkey is living alongside the most successful primate of all – humans. ibid.
Bonobos along with chimpanzees are our closest cousins. Dr George McGavin, Monkey World II
Gibraltar: the only wild monkeys in all of Europe. ibid.
Bonobos are peaceful, considerate and caring. ibid.
Macaques ... also like to steal hair – and they use it as dental floss. Dr George McGavin, Monkey World III
Capuchins have the largest relative brain size of all the monkeys. ibid.
The number of gibbons has fallen to 2,600. India: Nature’s Wonderland I, BBC 2015
Carried over the remote forests of Borneo is a very precious cargo. Meet Leonora. She doesn’t know it but she is a pioneer. With a handful of old friends Leonora is on an adventure into the unknown. She and her baby boy are leaving behind the security of a lifetime in captivity for a chance of freedom, with a chance for a new life as a truly wild orangutan. Natural World s32e6: Orangutans: The Great Ape Escape, BBC 2013
A gibbon: the most acrobatic, the most graceful, of a remarkable animal family. One family, countless faces. Monkeys, apes, lemurs, a family that’s found in almost every habitat on the planet. Each has their own unique strategy for survival. Primates s1e1: Secret of Survival, BBC 2020
The canyons of north-east Brazil, home to one of the smartest animals: Bearded Capuchin. The large troops of forty sleep in caves at the top of the cliffs, safe from predators. That means they have a daily descent of two hundred metres just to find something to eat … They make and use tools. ibid.
Howler monkeys: one of the loudest animals on land. ibid.
A silverback mountain gorilla: he’s well over twice the weight of an average man, and four thousand times bigger than the smallest primate. ibid.
The secret of the baboons’ success is they work together. ibid.
They are fewer sneakier than these Lion-Tailed Macaques: here in southern India monsoon rains means it’s jack-fruit season. ibid.
Madagascar: home of the lemurs … making up a fifth of all primates. ibid.
This is a Drill: a battle-scarred male. He’s past his prime and pretty much toothless … He is forced to live out his final years alone combing the beach for food. ibid.
1Snub-nosed monkeys in China survive higher than any other wild primate. They’ve adapted to the thin air of this altitude, and their snub-noses aren’t prone to frostbite in the freezing cold. This adaptability means primates can exploit the most unexpected opportunities. ibid.
Lesser Bushbabby: being nocturnal more often heard than seen. For their size they have the largest ears of any primate … They jump at light speed. ibid.
They’ve conquered the world working together. Every triumph is shared, and every drama too. Family is everything for the primates. Primates II, Family Matters
There are Lar Gibbons. Each small family defends a huge territory. They must cover big distances quickly, so Gibbons move like nothing else on Earth … a Gibbon’s arms are twice as long as their legs. ibid.
From snow-capped mountain to dusty back streets, uncharted jungles and the open savannah. Social living has been the making of primates. ibid.
Dusky Leaf Monkeys: a close-knit family group; one dominant male oversees eight females and their young. Lots of them. ibid.
Dawn in the Amazon basin: White-Cheeked Spider Monkeys are equipped for life in the treetops. Spider monkeys have an extra limb: their tail which allows them to go where other monkeys can’t, and reach opportunities no other primate can. This female’s tail is strong and dexterous, and it holds the key when she ventures to the most perilous places. ibid.
A squirrel-sized monkey: a Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin. ibid.
Northern Sumatra, one thousand metres above sea-level … after weeks of searching they caught sight of this: a new species of primate, a great ape … the Orangutan … smaller, paler thicker fur than their lowland cousins … There are only 800 individuals; their lost world is no longer a secret … under immediate threat … Within a generation they could be gone. ibid.
Over half the world’s primates are under threat. Primates III
It’s us that will decide the future for the primates. ibid.
Primates are the ultimate social animal. Living in groups means they have to communicate constantly. ibid.
Different chimpanzee groups have distinct cultures. ibid.
Secret language and skilled tool use are just the tip of the iceberg. ibid.