Perhaps behavioral monographs have to be dull and scholarly-the facts must be recorded somewhere. But films need not be. Given the availability in print of material that covers all the essential background, filmmakers should not feel obliged t o repeat the kind of data that has already been recorded in a more appropriate medium, and they should feel free t o concentrate on those aspects of their subject that particularly lend themselves to visual treatment. Following this mandate, a film could have the capacity to add a whole new dimension t o one's perceptions of a species' way of life, rather than simply filling out an image already formed through written materials. In general, films can be used as substitutes for actual viewing of behavior in the film or lab.By keeping the narration t o a minimum and through careful photography that excludes background noise, viewers of a film can be encouraged t o try t o discern patterns in the behaviors they see and t o try t o figure out the significance of these behaviors.For example, for those students who d o not have an opportunity t o view wild primates, a film could simulate some of the problems of fieldwork. One could recreate on film the first impression one gets upon going into the field as one is confronted with a mass of seemingly unpatterned, random interactions. The film could then go on to recapture the methods by which the observer gradually begins to bring order out of chaos, by focusing on particular individuals and by emphasizing types of interactions that are repeatedly observed. Jane Van Lawick Goodall's films on chimpanzees of the Gombe Stream Reserve are good examples of this genre.Or, film could be used t o help students analyze a complex sequence of behaviors difficult t o describe on paper. Using slow motion or frozen frame techniques, the film could help one break down a complicated interaction into its components so that one could see the subtle effects of one animal's posture, eye contact and auditory communication upon the behavior of another and then, in turn, view how the second animal's reaction influences the first animal's next response.As a third possibility, a film could deal with one aspect of behavior in greater detail than is found in the author's monograph. A good e x a m d e is Irven DeVore's film on mother-infant relations in baboons. Or, a film could concentrate o n interactions between a few individuals whose behavior has significant implications for group structure. Again, DeVore's film on the central hierarchy and dominance relations of adult male baboons is a good example.In conclusion, it must be emphasized that the shortcomings of these three films result, at least in part, from the periods in which they were made. Carpenter was the first person to perform long-term field observations on any non-human primate species. All of the information he gathered was therefore of great significance and it is easy to understand his desire t o record a general account of rhesus and howler social behavior on film. Although Southwick's fi...
If one watches a troop of baboons closely, the major categories of individuals present can soon be distinguished. The largest animais are invariably the adult males and, in some areas (such as Nairobi Park), their size is exaggerated by a very heavy mantle of fur around the heads and shoulders.
An adult male baboon has the distinction of possessing perhaps the largest canine teeth of his size in the animal kingdom. These have developed as a means of defence and are sufficiently impressive to keep most other animais at a distance.
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