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What Does it Mean to be Human? A Comparison of Primate Economies

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  • Frederic Pryor

Abstract

Synopsis: Since the beginning of serious field studies of nonhuman primates in the early 1930s, many primatologists have been arguing that humans and their simian cousins differ much less than commonly believed. Little systematic attention, however, has focused on the degree to which the foraging economies of human and nonhuman primates are similar or different. Using a comparative method I investigate consumption, organization of production (including technology), distribution, and property relations. Humans and nonhuman primates differ in their division of labor, food distribution, the use of special tools and techniques, and possessing a home base. More importantly, the economic activities of humans, unlike monkeys and apes, are structured through economic institutions, which are mutable. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2003

Suggested Citation

  • Frederic Pryor, 2003. "What Does it Mean to be Human? A Comparison of Primate Economies," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 97-145, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbioec:v:5:y:2003:i:2:p:97-145
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1025866006933
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frederic L. Pryor, 1981. "A Survey of the Economic Systems of Wild Chimpanzees and Baboons," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 33-59, March.
    2. Kocka, Jürgen, 1990. "[Rezension] Germany: Cooperation and competition - Alfred D. Chandler: Scale and scope: the dynamics of industrial capitalism. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1990," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 64(4), pages 711-716.
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    Cited by:

    1. Geoffrey Hodgson, 2007. "Taxonomizing the Relationship Between Biology and Economics: A Very Long Engagement," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 169-185, August.
    2. Christopher Boehm, 2004. "What Makes Humans Economically Distinctive? A Three-Species Evolutionary Comparison and Historical Analysis," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 109-135, May.
    3. Janet Landa, 2012. "Gordon Tullock’s contributions to bioeconomics," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 203-210, July.
    4. Peter Corning, 2007. "Synergy Goes to War: A Bioeconomic Theory of Collective Violence," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 109-144, August.
    5. Geerat Vermeij, 2009. "Comparative economics: evolution and the modern economy," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 105-134, August.
    6. Landa Janet T., 2014. "Emergence of Sago Palms as Private Property: An Extension of Demsetz’s Thesis of the Origins of Private Property," Man and the Economy, De Gruyter, vol. 1(1), pages 51-67, June.
    7. Gordon Tullock, 2002. "Evolution and Human Behavior," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 99-107, May.
    8. Eric Nævdal, 2008. "Animal rationality and implications for resource management: the case of biological reserves for moose and pine," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 145-163, August.
    9. Janet Landa & Michael Ghiselin, 2005. "The Economics and Bioeconomics of Classification: Introduction," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 215-220, December.

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