Re: Primate Rights

From: Anne Hansen (tazzie@bolian.upnaway.com)
Date: Wed May 31 2000 - 14:11:43 BST

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    From: "Anne Hansen" <tazzie@bolian.upnaway.com>
    To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D310174588A@inchna.stir.ac.uk>
    Subject: Re: Primate Rights
    Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 21:11:43 +0800
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    > The porcine rights thing was a joke (forgot the smiley).
    >
    > The point about animal experiments, it seems to me, is precisely that one
    of
    > the things that seems inherently wrong with it is that animals aren't
    > capabale of giving consent, thus making experiments illegitimate.
    > Alternatively, abolishing experiments on primates because of close
    > behavioural similarities seems erroneous to me, becuase where do you draw
    > the line?
    >
        Yes I agree it is a difficult conclusion. I guess with primates the
    extinction situation is a worry.. Especialy when a animal is close to
    extinction as the Mountain Gorillas happen to be at the moment.

    > As has already begun to happen, some experiment are now done on "lower"
    > animals- such as that test of drugs on spiders' abilities to make webs
    that
    > got a lot of press coverage in the UK a while back.

    It is fascinating to watch them work this wonder.

    Is this any more
    > legitimate because spiders are a long way from being similar to humans in
    > their behaviour?
    >
        Like I said before with the biological stuff plus the material I have
    read from great Authors such as Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Franz de waal,
    There is a much closer link for Humans with primates than spiders, for me
    that is, for you I'm sorry to say obviously not:)

    > Vincent
    >
    >
    >
    > > ----------
    > > From: Anne
    > > Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > > Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 1:13 pm
    > > To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    > > Subject: Re: Primate Rights
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > > 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. ))
    > >
    > >
    > > > >
    > > >
    > > > ===============================================================
    > > > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > > > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > > > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > > > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    > > >
    > >
    > >
    > > ===============================================================
    > > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    > >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    > Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    > For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
    >

    ===============================================================
    This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit



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