Self-recognition in primates has been an interesting area of research following the shared similarity. While many primates demonstrate high intelligence, self recognition is poorly demonstrated by species constituting the primates. Most researchers agree that there is great similarity between chimpanzees and apes, a factor that is probably contributing to their demonstration of self-recognition capability. The paper expounds on the self-recognition in different primates and factors that influence the trait to be strong in specific primates. This examination will demonstrate how learning, identification of the source of reflection and cognitive ability are critical for self-recognition in primates.
Self Recognition in Primates
The understanding of primate consciousness is a critical topic that many researchers have conducted studies. The assumption of majority of these researchers including Gordon Gallup is that men are almost similar to great apes. The assertion is attributed to the small genetic difference between the two and correlation of some of their behaviors. Other primates, however, present inferior behaviors that distance their similarity with men. Gallup employs self recognition to explain the variation in primates. According to him, only chimpanzees and men have common characteristics. The paper seeks to demonstrate how the consciousness of primates can be determined by self-recognition.
Gallup (1977) indicates that humans are capable of self-inspecting themselves. According to him, the portrayed ability is learned. In support of this, Gallup notes that children start showing self-recognition signs when they are almost two years following either the verbal instructions they receive from parents about their identity or their interaction with mirrors for a long duration (Gallup, 1977). Based on this, one can conclude that it is possible for other primates “to recognize the dualism implicit in mirror surfaces if they given the same opportunity” (p.331). That is, animals are capable of recognizing their images and stopping to react socially to their reflections like man (Gallup, 1970). Like man, chimpanzees learn to self-recognize their reflection after some period of learning. A researcher Gallup (1977) notes that individual exposure of chimpanzees to a full-length mirror in early days rarely results in self-recognition. When introduced to a mirror, an isolated chimpanzee behaves as if confronted with another chimpanzee (Gallup, 1977; Gallup, 1970). The chimpanzees in isolation present “social behavior such as bobbing, vocalizing, and threatening” (1970, p.167). Gallup (1977) attributes this behavior to the inability of chimpanzees to learn about their appearance in isolation. Similarly, Gardner and Gardner (1969) assert that the sociability trait of chimpanzees allow them to learn new things with much ease. However, Gallup notes that the treatment of the reflection as another being fades with time (Gallup, 1977). Based on this, it is evident that the behaviors directed to oneself in aid of a mirror increases in primates after some days. Some of the self-reflected behaviors in chimpanzees include grooming parts of the body that are inaccessible in absence of a mirror and removing remains of food from the teeth while looking in the mirror (Gallup, 1970; Gallup, 1977).
Self-recognition in primates occurs when the source of the reflection has been identified. Gallup (1977, p.332) learned that chimpanzees that were exposed to a mirror for some period identified the changes in their appearance when some marks were made on their bodies through watching at the mirror. He notes that the chimpanzees attempted to touch the marked sports through the mirror feedback. According to Gallup (1977), exposure to a mirror makes the chimpanzee to understand their physical appearance. That is, the reflection on the mirror helps the chimpanzee to identify any alteration of their physical appearance such as extraneous material on their body. In support of this finding, Gallup (1970, p.167) indicates that the identification of self in a mirror results in the reduction of social responsiveness and emergence of self-directed behaviors. According to Gallup (1977), occurrence of self-recognition in primates is affected by the duration of learning. He notes that chimpanzees start responding to themselves after about three days. The same findings were noted in Gardner and Gardner’s study on “Teaching Sign Language to a Chimpanzee.” Gardner and Gardner (1969) found out that a chimpanzee can learn on how to use gestural language after some period of learning. Based on their findings, Gardner and Gardner concluded that “chimpanzees are highly intelligent” (p.664). Thus, the high IQ in chimpanzees allows them to learn new things such as language and self-recognition. Regarding learning, Gallup (1970) found out that naïve chimpanzees with no mirror experience do not make mark-directed responses when they are marked and exposed to the mirror for the first time. The finding indicated that “the capacity for self-recognition had presumably been learned by other animals during the previous exposure” (p.87).
Gallup (1977) also learned that the capability of self-recognition does not spread to other primates. Exposure of monkeys and stumptail macaques for over 21 consecutive days did not result in self-directed behavior (p.333). Similarly, these primates did not recognize the introduced marks on their bodies when they observed their reflection in the mirror. Gallup further notes that teaching of other primates to recognize their reflections was also futile as the inability of primates such as the baboons to distinguish themselves from others persisted (p.333). From these findings, it is evident that there is a strong relationship between humans and apes. In support of this, King and Wilson (1975) claim that there is some extent of genetic similarity between human beings and chimpanzees. For instance, they argue that “the two species seem to have identical fibrinopeptides (3), cytochromes (4), and haemoglobin chains” (p.107). According to King and Wilson (1975), the protein sequence demonstrates the resemblance of human macromolecules with those of chimpanzees. They further argue that the genetic distance between humans and chimps is significantly small as it almost corresponds to that sibling species of mammals (p.113). Based on King and Wilson’s argument, one can conclude that the self-recognition capability demonstrated by humans and chimpanzees is as a result of their genetic similarity. Although the two primates are different in terms of advancement, they share some similarities that influence their self-recognition capability.
According to Gallup (1977), the self-recognition in primates is a product of cognitive ability. Unlike other primates, humans and apes learn faster. By comparison, Gallup learned that it took crab-eating macaque more than 5 months to learn nothing about self recognition and chimpanzees less than three days to show signs of self-recognition (p.334). Although monkeys demonstrated the ability to use mirrors in manipulating objects, they were incapable of learning to respond to themselves through recognizing their features as reflected in mirrors. Gallup asserts that monkeys are capable of “learning to respond to mirrored cues as they can detect the dualism of objects that are different from themselves and responding appropriately by turning away from the mirror to gain more direct access to the object of the reflection” (p.334). Despite having this ability, they are incapable of correctly interpreting their reflections. The experienced psychological void between what is referred to as great apes and the rest of the primates can be attributed to cognitive deficit (Gallup, 1977). Similar assumption was also made by Gallup (1970) as he noted that “recognition of one’s own reflection would seem to require a rather advanced form of intellect” (p.87). According to Gallup (1977), monkeys lack a cognitive category associated with processing the reflected information about oneself. From this finding, a person can conclude that learning as well as identification of the observer and his or her reflection is critical in enhancing self-recognition.
In conclusion, self-recognition is a product of learning. Animals learn to identify the image of their reflections in a mirror. Self-recognition is exclusively common in primates and it is well demonstrated in chimpanzees and men compared with other primates. Like men, chimpanzees are capable of learning to self-recognize themselves in the mirror. The ability of chimpanzees to learn to distinguish themselves from others is also higher when compared with other primates such as monkeys and baboons. Monkeys have also the capability of distinguishing other objects from self when watching the mirror. They however lack the capability of recognizing their physical traits when they are exposed to a mirror. The capability of chimps and men to self-recognize themselves is attributed to their genetic similarity and high cognitive ability. The two species share some practices in addition to demonstrating high sociability that is critical for learning. Compared to other primates, chimpanzees have high cognitive ability that contributes to quick and easy learning of new practices. Whereas it takes chimps less than 3 days to learn on how to self-recognize themselves in a mirror, other primates take over five months to demonstrate insignificant evidence of learning.
References
Gallup, G. (1977). Self-Recognition in primates: A comparative approach to the bidirectional properties of consciousness. American Psychologist, 328-338.
Gallup, G. (1970). Chimpanzees” Self-Recognition. Science, 167, 86-87.
Gardner, R. " Gardner, B. (1969). Teaching sign language to a chimpanzee. Science, 165, 664- 672.
King, M. " Wilson, A. (1975). Evolution at Two Levels in Humans and Chimpanzees. Science, 188, 107-116.
