anthropology podcast

On this week's episode of Talking Apes Podcast, we're joined by two extraordinary scientists, Dr Cleve Hicks and Toni Romani, as they lead us into the enigmatic world of the Bili-Ape and beyond.

Few people have ventured as far and deep into the Congo's dark and secretive forests as Dr Cleve Hicks. Primatologist and associate professor at the University of Warsaw, Cleve takes us back to his thrilling early 2000s expedition in search of the mysterious Bili-Ape; a creature once rumoured to be an amalgamation of chimp and gorilla, displaying astonishing bipedal abilities and fearsome strength.

Is it a missing link, a hybrid, or an entirely new species? Cleve and his team ventured into the wilderness with no clear expectations, ready to unearth incredible discoveries concealed beneath the jungle canopy.

Dr Hicks and Toni Romani's work in western Uganda also opens up a world of secrets. From chimpanzee ground nests hidden on the dense forest floor, to the fascinating and diverse realm of ape tool 'culture'.

Join us as Cleve and Toni guide us through some of their findings:

Ground-nesting chimps
Did you know that chimps build nest-like beds in the trees every night? During their expedition, Toni and Cleve began to notice an astonishing percentage of chimp nests down on the ground. Why? And does this discovery have implications for our understanding of human evolution, offering clues about our own sleeping habits from the past? 

Elaborate tool-use traditions amongst wild chimp populations
Chimps exhibit a remarkably diverse array of tool-use practises. From using sets of sticks in a sequence to access honey in beehives to unique pounding, levering, and probing techniques, the world of ape tool culture is more rich and diverse than we previously thought.

The spread of unique behavioural practises making up 'cultural realms'
Can the notion of culture truly extend to chimps?  Cleve reveals how behavioural traits and tool-use traditions differ vastly across chimp groups and also cluster, alluding to the idea of 'cultural realms', and mirroring how cultures are dispersed and divided across our own Homo sapien world.  Can understanding these behavioural traits in  our closest cousins shed light on our own ancient history and the tools and traditions of early hominins?
 
CLICK HERE TO READ: Ground Nesting Chimps Hold Lessons for Conservation and for Human Evolution

Click here to watch Cleve's Ted Talk on chimp culture in the Congo Basin

Scroll down for photos and videos. 

Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
Official website: talkingapes.org
Instagram: @talkingapes_podcast
Twitter: @talking_apes
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 Unraveling the Meaty Mysteries of Human Evolution with Dr. Briana Pobiner

This week on Talking Apes we journey back in time to explore our ancestral roots with Dr. Briana Pobiner. As a distinguished paleoanthropologist, Dr. Pobiner delves deep into the evolution of the human diet and the pivotal role meat played in our development as a species.

Briana, who leads the Smithsonian Human Origins education and outreach initiatives, offers a unique perspective on our shared history with other apes and our progression towards becoming Homo sapiens.  

This week we're stepping away from our usual focus on modern apes to explore the dietary habits of our ancient ancestors with Briana as our amazing guide on some key topics:

The Myth of Linearity: Dr. Pobiner shatters the common misconception that human evolution is a linear progression from chimpanzees. Instead, she unveils the intricate web of evolutionary branches that make up our family tree.

The 2% Difference: Dive deep into the significance of the mere 2% difference in DNA that separates us from our closest living relatives. Discover how this small genetic gap holds significance to our unique journey.

'The cool thing about human bodies is we’re this archive of evolution and we share a lot of that evolutionary history with our closest living relatives.' - Dr Pobiner

Meat-Eating in Prehistory: Explore Dr. Pobiner's research spanning up to 2.5 million years ago, focusing on the pivotal role of meat in early human diets. Learn how she deciphers clues in fossilized bones and identifies tooth and butchery marks to reveal the stone tools our ancestors used to process their food and other ideas about how they lived.

Coexisting Hominids: Delve into the intriguing story of how multiple species of humans (hominids) lived concurrently, painting a complex picture of our ancient world.

‘This is actually a very weird time in human evolution because there’s only one type of human on the planet - through most of our evolutionary history there have been multiple lineages, multiple different species of hominids (early humans) that co-existed at the same time - that’s something to give us pause.’ - Dr Pobiner

Scavenging and Survival: Uncover the theory that early humans might have survived by scavenging meat left behind by carnivores.

Modern Paleo Diets: Dr. Pobiner shares her insights on modern paleo diets, offering a bridge between our ancestral past and present dietary trends.

Join us as we journey through time, exploring the rich tapestry of human evolution! This episode promises to leave you with a newfound appreciation for the intricacies of our evolutionary heritage (and maybe a rumbling tummy)!

Click here to visit the Smithsonian's Human Origins Website

Click here to read Briana's articles on human evolution

Click here to see a fascinating diagram depicting human evolution

Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
Official website: talkingapes.org
Instagram: @talkingapes_podcast
Twitter: @talking_apes
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In recent years, podcasts have emerged as an innovative and accessible medium for science education. With their ability to engage, inform, and entertain listeners, podcasts have become an invaluable tool for disseminating knowledge about various scientific disciplines...including the best one of all, primatology  ;)

It probably won't come as a surprise that  - apart from, of course, our own -  Andrew MacIntosh's, podcast, The PrimateCast,  run out of Kyoto University's Wildlife Research Center, is the Talking Apes team's collective favourite podcast.

Enlightening audiences about the wonders of primatology, evolution, and anthropology since 2012, the show has featured fascinating conversations with some of the primatology world's troop-leaders, including Frans de Waal, John Mitani, and the chimp queen herself, Jane Goodall.

This week we had a lovely chat with Andrew on Talking Apes, where we delved into the history of The PrimateCast and how podcasting has become an indispensable tool to engage and educate the public about primates, the threats they face, and the vital conservation of their habitats. 

We also talked about Andrew's colourful scientific career as part primatologist/marine biologist, behavioural ecologist, and university professor; and his long-term research on the intersection between animal behaviour and parasitism.

Check out the wonderful PrimateCast at theprimatecast.com

Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
Official website: talkingapes.org
Instagram: @talkingapes_podcast
Twitter: @talking_apes
BUY OUR MERCH

Meghan and Daniel discuss Quebec's decision to make vaccines mandatory for all health-workers and the appalling statistics of disappearances in Mexico.

Episode sources: https://www.talkingculture.ca/sources