Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA07607 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 31 May 2000 13:16:41 +0100 Message-ID: <00ba01bfcaf9$d4632cc0$3b2484d8@default> From: "Anne" <tazzie@bolian.upnaway.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745889@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Primate Rights Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 20:13:34 +0800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.6600 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Thank Ann, very interesting material.
>
> I've always been both fascinated by Goodall's work (at Gombi isn't it?)
and
> concerned at the same time. Fascinated because of how lengthy
observations
> of chimp behaviour has shown some remarkable parallels with human
behaviour,
> but concerned because she has a major tendency towards anthropomorphism
(the
> chimps have 'names' etc.).
I"ll answer on these issues, and your following lines at a later
date!
> I've said before on this list that I don't buy other animals having
> cultures, though; pre-cultural behaviours, or proto-cultural behaviours
> perhaps, but to call these rudimentary behaviours culture I think makes
the
> term meaningless.
>
> Obviously human culture (and things like religious belief) have to have
some
> precedent as they are products of natural selection, and it would indeed
be
> strange if we didn't see behaviours approximating human behaviours in
other
> animals.
>
> Yet both quantitively and qualitatively our behaviours are distinct. Apes
> do not spontaneously in the wild develop grammatical language the way they
> do in the lab, and experiments have shown that pigs can use computer
> joysticks to perform basic tasks as well. Does that mean there should be
> porcine rights as well?
Not even worth an answer...
> Vincent
I skipped the last section of the article last night, Ive posted it
now, so you can try to comprehend what goes on in the labs!
Cheers Anne
((The Oregon Regional Primate Research Center: Oline K. Ronnekleiv
is administering cocaine to pregnant mothers and unborn fetuses. He has
discovered that chronic cocaine use causes brain damage. (Project number: 5
P51 RR00163 -38).
Miles Novy " . . . studies . . . unanesthetized chronically
catheterized maternal-fetal
preparations . . . ". He wants to know how hormone levels change during
pregnancy in rhesus macaques and baboons. (Project number: 5 R37
HDO6159 -25).
Washington Regional Primate Research Center: Marnix L. Bosch has
learned that HIV and SIV have, " . . . important biological differences."
This was discoverd by infecting rhesus and pigtailed macaques. They were
infected both orally and rectally. (Project number: 2 P51 RR00166 -36).
Virginia M. Gunderson has recieved a Scientist Development Award
to " . . . gain
expertise. . . [and], . . . acquire the skills to attain her career goals."
She is injecting chemicals into the brains of very young pigtailed macaques
to try to induce seizures.
New England Regional Primate Research Center: Janice H. Kinsey
designed a database to keep records on the large population of individually
housed monkeys. She gathered data on the amount of various behaviors such
as: ". . .pacing, bouncing, rocking, . . . self-biting, grasping, and hair
pulling." She learned that 10% of the center's monkeys bite themselves.
[Sometimes they chew off fingers, tail tips and chew holes in their arms
that require veterinary care.] ( PN # 5 P51 RR00168 -36).
Alyssa Rulf Fountain, studying self-injurious behavior (SIB) such as
self-biting, reports that,
". . . the causes are largely unknown." ( PN # 5 P51 RR00168 -36).
Both of these studies above are ongoing, but as early as 1990
researchers had found that even a small hole between cages of individually
caged monkeys which allowed them to touch each other stopped most of this
behavior. Ms. Fountain's assertion notwithstanding, the cause of SIB has
been well known for years: Most non-human primates are more social than
humans and isolating them causes insanity. (See D. Blum, The Monkey Wars,
pg. 191).
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center: Christopher L. Coe says
that, "Prior research at our laboratory has determined that stressful
events experienced by the pregnant female monkey can affect her fetus . . ."
... Now he wants to know, " . . . whether the absence of breast milk and its
soluble immune products exacerbates the effects of prenatal disturbance."
PN # R01 MH41659 -12).
In a similar study at the Wisconsin center, researchers are scarring
the amygdala (a deep brain structure) of female monkeys to induce a
permanent state of fear. They want to know whether such stress can affect a
baby born to such an afflicted mother.
Tulane Regional Primate Research Center: Margaret R. Clark is working
to enlarge the breeding colony of rhesus macaques. She wishes the facility
to produce an additional 150 babies a year. She says, " . . . infants will
be removed [from their mothers and all adult monkeys] within three days of
birth . . . Management practices will maximize the psychological well-being
of the animals." ( PN # 5 P51 RR00164 -34, $103,241).
Gamal M. Ghoniem is implanting vascular cuffs around the neck of the
bladder of rhesus macaques. A lead to this cuff runs out of the monkeys'
bodies and allows him to squeeze off the neck of the bladder while the
monkeys attempt to urinate. He has found that monkeys whose bladder necks
are most tightly closed take longer to pee than those with less obstruction.
( PN # 5 P51 RR00164 -36).
Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center: Leonard L. Howell has learned
that monkeys trained to drink caffeine will self-administer lower doses than
monkeys trained to receive intravenous injections. ( PN # 5 P 51
RR00165 -37).
Opendra Narayan has successfully developed a cross between SIV and
HIV-1. He reports that this new virus he has created is, "highly
pathogenic in pigtailed macaques." He does not mention whether it would be
harmful to humans. ( PN # 5 P51 RR00165 -37).
Margarete Tigges is sewing the eyelids shut on newborn infants. ( PN
# 5 P51 RR00165 -37).
California Regional Primate Research Center: David G. Amaral is using
chemical means to permanently disconnect the amygdalas from the rest of
the brain in male monkeys. He wants to know whether they will still be able
to communicate with facial expression. He says this will help us understand
criminality and psychopathic behavior in humans. ( PN # 5 P51
RR00169 -36).
William Gilbert is ligating (tying shut) esophagi and catheterizing the
tracheas of fetus rhesus macaques. He characterizes this as chronic
catheterization which means that these babies inside their mothers have
these tubes in them for days or months on end. ( PN # 5 RR000169 -36).
What these examples teach is that the federally funded primate research
centers around the United States have little regard for or understanding of
the animals they experiment on. Any abuse is allowed in the name of
Science. Studies routinely repeat experiments that have been done on
humans. Monkeys are disposed of as if they are broken equipment.
Every center has received warnings about the condition of the animals'
housing. Every center keeps monkeys in isolation. Every center receives
over 10 million dollars a year. Expansion is underway around the country.
Every law to protect and enhance the life of these animals has been heavily
lobbied against by the biomedical community.
The researchers say this work is important because we learn about
humans since monkeys and apes are so like us, but at the same time they say
we should not be concerned over the torment these animals suffer because
they are so unlike us.
Biomedical researchers have made the same arguments and done similar
things to minorities throughout history. The research taking place at the
NIH Regional Primate Research Centers is just more of the same. Its root
cause is the bigotry that is always associated with unbridled hubris. Only
when people speak out will it end. ))
> >
>
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