21 December 2015

Uncommon Commentary #488: Don’t Monkey Around with Human Nature

I recently learned of a scientific study in which captive vervet monkeys were allowed to play with toys of their own choice; according to the television program that was the source of this information, it was found that “Just like human children, male vervet monkeys prefer toy cars and balls, while females prefer dolls and cooking-pots.  Most scientists believe that male primates [v.i.] are genetically programmed to play in a way that helps them to develop hunting-and-gathering skills; females are more likely to choose toys that teach them about child care.”  Since we of the species Homo sapiens are also primates, do not the results of this experiment further discredit those brownskirts (see the list of domanisms, below) who deny that there are psychological differences between men and women?