Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

194 | Frans de Waal on Culture and Gender in Primates

Apr 25, 2022

Frans de Waal, a leading primatologist at Emory University, dives into the captivating world of primate behavior, revealing insights on gender dynamics and culture. He discusses the unique social structures of bonobos and their female dominance, urging reflections on human gender roles. De Waal also shares how primates learn through observation, highlighting their empathy and cooperation. With fascinating examples like a non-binary female chimpanzee, he underscores the complexities of identity and moral behaviors in both primates and humans, blurring the lines between species.

01:08:17

Episode guests

Frans de Waal

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Gender diversity in Chimps

01:59

How Can Captivity Enhance Female Co-operative Tendences?

02:49

Intro

2min

Primates and Gender Dynamics

15min

Understanding Culture and Self-Socialization in Primates

3min

Understanding Primate Gender and Social Dynamics

14min

Exploring Cooperative Behaviors and Diet in Primates

3min

Cooperation and Fairness in Primate Societies

17min

Primate Power: The Roles of Gender in Social Dynamics

9min

Evolving Perspectives in Animal Cognition

10min

Humans are related to all other species here on Earth, but some are closer relatives than others. Primates, a group that includes apes, monkeys, lemurs, and others besides ourselves, are our closest relatives, and they exhibit a wide variety of behaviors that we can easily recognize. Frans de Waal is a leading primatologist and ethologist who has long studied cognition and collective behaviors in chimps, bonobos, and other species. His work has established the presence of politics, morality, and empathy in primates. His new book is Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist.

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Frans de Waal received his Ph.D. in biology from Utrecht University. He is currently Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University and director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Among his awards are the Knight of the order of the Netherlands Lion, the Galileo Prize, ASP Distinguished Primatologist, and the PEN/EO Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, not to mention an Ig Nobel Prize.

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