There are things that a primatologist knows.

I know that the throaty call of a male orangutan can carry over a mile in the rainforest to reach the ears of potential mates.

I know that the tip of a spider monkey’s tail has fingerprint-like grooves that enhance sensation, and I know what it feels like to have that tail wrap around your wrist.

And, I know that if you ever get to meet a capuchin monkey face-to-face, you shouldn’t wear a button-down shirt. Trust me on this one.

The more I learn about primates, the more I love them. Understanding our closest living ancestors has also helped me gain insight into the human animal: how we act, who we love, and all the ways that evolutionary biology sneakily asserts itself in our daily lives.

“Chimpanzees, more than any other living creature, have helped us to understand that there is no sharp line between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom. It’s a very blurry line, and it’s getting more blurry all the time.” - Jane Goodall