All language subtitles for Baby Animals Series 1 13of13 Primate Families 1080p

All primates, including humans,
share a common ancestor.

Our stories diverged
millions of years ago,

but we still have
lots in common.

Physical traits, social bonds,
smarts, raising cute babies.

From primitive lemurs to the
more highly evolved orangutan,

each member of our
primate family can shed light

on how we got to be human.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

Off the coast of Africa,
on the island of Madagascar,

lemurs bound from tree to tree.

Even though they're now
native to just one island

on the planet, they're related
to every human on earth.

Lemurs are the most
distant living primates

from humans on the
primate family tree.

Just think of them as cousins
a million times removed.

When we look at lemurs we can
see common characteristics

we share with our earliest
primate ancestors,

like physical traits

and the origins of our
social behavior.

This baby crowned lemur
is Sischen.

She's a natural born leader.

She's the first one
running out into the forest.

She's not shy about that.

She is not an animal
that sort of

sits in the background
and waits.

It's the crest,
or crown, on her head

that gives her the
name crowned lemur.

Like all females, Sischen
and her mom are mostly grey,

while the males, her brother and
dad, are more rust colored.

These crowned lemurs are one of
more than 20 species of lemurs

at the Duke Lemur Center,
in Raleigh, North Carolina.

It's a sanctuary
and living laboratory.

Scientists there
are studying lemurs.

The first lemurs lived
in the forests of Africa.

But they ended up in Madagascar.

There are no lemurs
on that island

more than 60 million years
ago and right around

60 million years ago they
popped up and the lemur

that came out of the
fossil records

sort of looked like a
fat-tailed dwarf lemur.

How they ended up on Madagascar
is still a bit of a mystery,

but here's one theory:
some species of lemurs

can go to sleep for days on end,
almost like hibernating bears.

It's called torpor.

Tree trunk hollows make good
nests, so picture some

very sleepy lemurs, millions of
years ago, in a tree in Africa.

Now imagine a big storm that
sweeps the tree out to sea.

With these lemurs inside--
it's called a rafting theory,

and they actually
floated to Madagascar

while they were torporing.

The tree lands on the
coast of Madagascar

and the lemurs wake up
to a forested paradise.

So they've evolved on the
island all by themselves

and they have not
left the island.

So that's why we can only find
prosimian lemurs on Madagascar.

So the theory goes.

We do know the lemurs that
remained in Africa died out,

while the group in
Madagascar thrived,

producing descendants
like Sischen.

These crowned lemurs are
perfectly adapted to the trees,

like our common ancestors.

Their long tails
may look showy,

but they're essential
for balance.

Many common primate traits
are seen in lemurs.

Their shoulders are flexible,
so they can climb and swing,

their hands can grasp branches.

Those are abilities that all
primates share, including us.

Lemurs use vocal communication,
also common to all primates.

Scientists believe that lemur
calls have several roles,

including helping to
improve social bonds

between members of a clan.

So it's possible that
gossip among humans

came from our
primate ancestors

as a means of improving
our social connections.

The lemurs' vocalizing
is also useful

across vast distances
in the forest.

Crowned lemurs have
a throaty alarm call.

And they go "bwa bwee";

that's another one that's
a crowned lemur sound.

So it's very different
than all the other lemurs.

Many of their calls
simply mean "come here".

For lemurs, there's
safety in numbers.

Like all primates, lemur babies
take a long time to raise.

So living in a social group
provides protection,

and maximizes their
chance of survival.

There's more eyes to look out
for an aerial predator

or for a ground predator.

It also helps take care
of the infants.

Infants learn from their
siblings, so if you leave

the youngest member far behind
or mom's way off ahead

there's no learning, there's
no protection in the group.

Lemur social groups, however,

have evolved differently than
many other primate groups.

Female crowned lemurs
have all the power.

That's very much important
part of a young female learning

from her mother how to be
dominant, how to be in charge

and don't be afraid to take that
piece of food from your brother.

The females are willing
to fight for food.

They need it more,
to sustain pregnancy.

So males back off.

It's got to be a tough life
being a male lemur

'cause you're at the bottom
of that pecking order.

Sischen is already learning
she can get away with a lot.

Sischen's ancestors
are our ancestors.

They set up camp in Madagascar
at least 60 million years ago.

But the primate
party didn't stop there.

Moving closer to humans on the
primate family tree: monkeys.

Primates can be found
all over the world.

But which primates made
it to the Americas first?

It was these guys: monkeys.

All the other guys claimed
to have been first:

Columbus, Vespucci,

the Vikings, the Chinese,

even the Native Americans,

who were definitely here
before the Europeans.

All latecomers!

Exactly how monkeys
arrived here from Africa

is still up for debate.

But the fossil record
doesn't lie.

Monkeys flourished
in the Americas

roughly 30 million years ago.

Long before humans popped up.

And they're a valuable
chapter in the story of

primate evolution, on the
journey toward humans.

Squirrel monkeys are evolved
from those early pioneers.

Squirrel monkeys are New
World monkeys and that means

they're from South America so
they're found quite widely

throughout South America
in the kind of central and

northern parts so you know in
the big countries like Brazil.

This isn't the rainforest,
or the streets of Brazil.

This is Edinburgh zoo.

A colony of common squirrel
monkeys and their counterparts,

the capuchins, hang out
at the Living Links Center.

The main point of research
here at the Living Links Center

is to look at the
behavior of the monkeys,

how their brains work,
and how that can link

into looking how humans
might have evolved.

In squirrel monkeys, we
can see shared characteristics

in vision and social behavior.

There's lots of opportunity
to learn about

this species' development
from a young age.

That's because two boys and two
girls were recently born here.

The babies share the same dad,
but have different moms.

Female squirrel monkeys can
only have one baby at a time.

And It's hard to
tell the difference

between adults and babies.

That's because
they're all small,

standing about a
foot high fully grown.

Their tails are longer
than their bodies!

Babies look like mini-adults
as soon as they're born.

They're fully furred
and can open their eyes,

although they're
a third of the size.

Researchers know that,
like humans,

female squirrel squirrel monkeys
can see in full color.

Some males can
see only two colors.

One theory is that
color vision evolved

so that primates could
find fruit more easily.

It's led to a greater
understanding of human vision.

For the squirrel monkeys,

being able to see each other
in color is also handy.

It could be
to attract a mate.

It's basically showing off
how fit and healthy they are

by having a nice glossy,
colorful coats.

Here, zookeepers attached
brightly colored necklaces

to identify female adults.

And if you want to
know who's a baby,

it's the one riding a
slightly bigger monkey.

The littler ones
do a lot of that,

but they're getting braver.

They're spending a lot
of time off their moms,

exploring their enclosure,

they're really agile
and nimble animals

so they're really good at
climbing about on the branches.

Like humans,
squirrel monkey moms

want their children to learn
to do things for themselves.

Moms discourage clinginess
as their babies grow,

especially in baby boys.

By four years old, the boys will
be mature and will be given to

other zoos to mate with
other squirrel monkeys.

The females really want to
encourage the youngsters

to start getting
more independent

and fending for
themselves a little bit.

In the wild, a
dad's contribution

is to protect the colony.

Other members of a social
group have human-like roles.

For example, there are
built-in nannies.

Childless female adults
help raise the young.

Siblings help too.

Some of our females in there,
these aren't their first babies

so they'll have an older sister
or brother in the group

and they still have that bond
with their mom so they will

come over and groom the baby
or groom the mother and it's

all about reinforcing the
social bonds with each other.

Play is also a big part of
the way a squirrel monkey

connects with his or
her social group.

Like it is for humans.

It's a really good way of
learning all of the behaviors

they need to learn
for adult life.

It's all about keeping on the
move and looking for food

and looking for opportunities
to play with each other

or groom each other.

Squirrel monkeys are agile
and they're smart.

They stick together
to protect one another,

and to help raise their young.

Traits we can see in ourselves.

On the journey to
becoming human,

squirrel monkeys
bring us one step closer.

Another monkey is even
closer to humans

on the primate family tree.

On a wintry day, a
mother's embrace

gives her baby warmth
and protection.

But snow monkeys are already
well prepared for the cold.

Thick fur coats cover
even the smallest baby.

Adaptability is key in the
story of primate evolution.

It has made primates one of the
most successful animal families

on the planet.

Snow monkeys live in a
wide range of climates:

cold, hot and everything in
between, just like humans.

Snow monkeys are found
in most islands in Japan.

There is a big variation
between the islands.

The most northerly is almost
alpine and subarctic

and the most southerly
are subtropical.

Snow monkeys, also known
as Japanese macaques,

are even more adaptable
than most primates.

There are very few
primate species that have

such a diverse habitat,
ecology, diet in the wild.

They're considered
old world monkeys.

40 million years ago,
these monkeys

spread through
Europe, Africa and Asia.

They evolved to spend
more time on the ground

rather than climbing in trees,
a trait that brings them

closer to humans in their
physical development.

This troop lives at
Highland Wildlife Park,

near Aviemore, Scotland.

Babies Gaichi, Goku and Jen were
born to three different moms.

They're six months old
and dependent on them.

But 4 months earlier,
during their first summer,

they were absolutely tiny.

Newborn macaques
cling to their moms.

But soon enough
they're off and running.

They're also picking up
essential social skills.

They'll start to learn a bit

about what being in their
troop is all about.

So movement, body language,
vocalizations,

and little things like that.

Like all primates, they must
master the art of giving

and reading social cues.

The facial expressions
are important

because their hierarchy
is very important.

If they don't show the
right facial expression,

like a submissive grin, they
could end up being in a fight

for that reason.

They can make peace, or
avoid conflict altogether,

by grooming.

Keeping the females happy
is a particularly good idea.

There's a strict hierarchy
within Japanese macaques,

and it's matriarchal.

So females tend to form the
main body of the family group.

One mother
holds most of the power.

In this group it's Angara.

Her baby is a male,
but she is the most
dominant in the troop.

She's the top-ranking female
and so her baby will become

quite a dominant individual.

Social status dictates
everything for these primates.

Snow monkeys are mature
around the age of five.

At that point they'll only
hang out with monkeys

of the same rank.

But until then they have
a few more options.

The relationships that
they form generally are
older siblings,

but also the same age group of
babies that maybe would've been

born the same year
that they were,

and they'll form
those friendships

for a long period of time.

They sure do make the
most of their play time,

particularly in the water.

They're really strong
swimmers but because
there's no need

for them to swim
in captivity so much,

we tend to see it as
a playful behavior.

So the babies particularly like
jumping around and splashing

in the water and that's really
funny in the summer months.

As summer ends the babies
are still near their moms.

The females will
protect their babies

for the first two
years of life.

After that, the whole troop
keeps watch on the young,

for both discipline
and protection.

Like human babies,

young macaques can develop
at a more leisurely pace.

These guys are preyed
on by few species,

so probably wild dogs and
maybe even birds of prey,

so these guys can
develop more slowly.

Just as well they have time.

There's still a lot to master.

Because mastery, of environment,

of social life,

of expression,

is something Japanese macaques
must do to survive.

And it signals a step forward
in primate evolution.

Finally, the branch on the
family tree that includes us:

great apes.

This exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo
is a big draw.

Jiwa has something
to do with that.

He's a Bornean orangutan.

Orangutan is Malaysian
for "person of the forest."

The name suits these primates.

Their expressions, the
way they look and act,

seems all too familiar
to the people watching.

Did you see?

Mama was curled up in a blanket
saying leave me alone.

What other Mama does that?

Um, you?

Yeah.

In the story of
primate evolution,

orangutans appear in the
last chapter: the great apes.

Humans are in there too.

Jiwa is a recent entry: he's
almost two, and he's a handful.

He's still in
his terrible twos

but he definitely is
being more adventurous.

He's moving around more.

No wonder Bess,
his mom, wants downtime.

She has two children
in the family:

Jiwa, and his older, much
more mature sister, Kasih.

Similar to humans,
bringing up orangutan babies

takes a lot of time
and a lot of energy.

It's one of the things
that separate great apes

from other primates.

Female orangutans have 4 babies
or less in their lifetimes,

and they spend the most
time rearing those children.

Orangutans in general have
one of the longest mother-infant

bonds, and so they actually
will care for the infant and

explore that relationship for
upwards the first seven years.

Mothers teach their
children a lot in those
first seven years,

both in the wild
and in captivity.

They have to learn
boundaries.

They have to learn their
environment, what to eat,

what is not acceptable,
what can go into your mouth,

what shouldn't
go into your mouth.

Did you really have to get
pink chalk on your lips today?

Did you?

Maybe red chalk is
one of those things

that shouldn't go
in Jiwa's mouth.

Bess uses it to draw, but Jiwa
sees it as a tasty snack.

And he sees his sister, Kasih,
as built-in entertainment.

He's looking at her
as more of a playmate

maybe not necessarily
than like a mother figure.

So he is batting her a lot.

He is, you know, hanging on her.

He does also
seek comfort in her.

If he is unsure of something and
she comes to take care of him

he does allow her to,
which is wonderful.

It's Kasih's job
to watch Jiwa.

In the wild, young females like
her help mom with childrearing.

Bess sometimes looks at
Kasih as like a babysitter.

It's like her break.

There is one way this family
is different from orangutans

in the wild.

Dad, Mike, is around a lot more.

Mom, Bess, lets him
hang out with Jiwa.

He's a very laid-back father.

His tell-tale fatty cheek pads

set him apart as
the dominant male.

If this family
lived in the wild,

Mike would be off roaming
a much wider territory.

Male orangutans, unlike
male chimps and gorillas,

tend to be loners.

It's out of necessity.

Orangutans eat fruit,
and it can be scarce.

Not so in the zoo.

They have unlimited
resources for food.

They have
unlimited veterinary care.

They have unlimited water and
shelter and all those things

that allow them to be able
to interact with each other

that they wouldn't
normally in the wild.

Like other primates,

orangutans have long arms
to swing in the branches,

and long fingers and toes
to climb trees.

Like all other great apes,
they have no tails.

Size and strength sets
the great apes apart, too.

Even little Jiwa.

When he was born his grip
on Bess' body, on her hair,

to be able to hold his whole
weight, which was only

probably around five pounds
or so, but to think five pounds

and being able to hold it

from the moment you're
born basically is incredible.

The other thing that
makes great apes stand out?

Intelligence.

Like bonobos, chimps,
gorillas and humans,

orangutans use tools.

These ones use them
to get their food.

They use blankets
as shelter in the sun.

And they communicate.

It's incredible.
It's scary at times.

I think there's times I even
joke around about Bess,

Jiwa's mom, how she can
basically understand English.

The important thing is
that Bess understands Jiwa.

The bond between them
is obvious.

You can see the bond, too, when
you look at other great apes,

like gorillas
with their offspring,

and chimpanzee babies
that cling to their moms.

The mother-child bond
is unmistakable.

These orangutans,
and all great apes,

have amazing stories to tell.

Our primate family includes
monkeys, apes, lemurs.

Some are more primitive,
others are highly evolved.

There are things we
still have in common:

raising babies, social
connections, intelligence.

In their stories we
can see ourselves.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)