Hey hey we're the monkeys!

Summertime always brings a new exhibition to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The current offering is Monkeys: Our Primate Family. It is the first exhibition of its kind to show ape and monkey taxidermy examples behaving as they would in the wild. More than 50 specimens have been assembled. Visitors can discover how primates have evolved and adapted to travel and hunt for food. The exhibition also reveals how the animals communicate and examines their complex social systems. Ever present threats such as extinction, habitat loss and hunting also form part of the narrative. On the upside, we also learn how conservations schemes can make a vital difference.

I took a train over at the start of my summer break and made my way up to Chambers Street. Museums are not immune to the cost of living increases and I had to pay £14 on the door. But the NMS is one of my favourite institutions and I'm always happy to support their work. The primate family includes over 500 species, from tiny lemurs to massive gorillas. They are all capable of solving problems and displaying complex communication and social behaviour. DNA evidence suggests the earliest primate ancestor appeared over 90 million years ago. The human population now numbers eight billion and our activities are putting many of our closest genetic relatives at risk. We are the only member of the primate group to have evolved to walk tall on two feet all of the time. Like us, apes and monkeys access a wide variety of food sources and some are able to use tools to help accomplish this task. Chimpanzees crack open nuts and seeds with rocks. They also employ grass stems to scoop termites out of their nests. All primates use their senses to monitor the environment and communicate with each other. Male and female gibbons sing loudly in duets to defend their territory and maintain the bond between the pair. They often remain faithful for life. Howler monkeys are among the loudest animals on Earth, their calls reaching 90 decibels at close range, four times louder than your average vacuum cleaner! This sound can travel through several kilometres of dense forest. Tarsiers send messages that are well beyond the human range of hearing. Most predators are also deaf to the silent screams. Living in groups allows young primates to acquire social, survival skills and future parenting by observing others. Newly born animals tend to be the centre of attention. As traditional habitats have receded, many primates have adapted to live within close proximity to human settlements. Although the two camps often rub along harmoniously, disease can spread, often with devasting consequences. It is now believed HIV was transmitted to people via infected bushmeat, around 100 years ago. Primates also cause problems by raiding crops, which affects farmers' livelihoods, leading to tension.

The illegal wildlife trade has a debilitating effect on conservation levels. Some primates are hunted for food. They are easy targets for poachers, who set up traps and snares. Or simply shoot. Bushmeat is now big business and there is also a demand for primates in the pet trade, much of the interest being generated online. Two thirds of all species are threatened with extinction as habitats are fragmented and lost. The ever expanding human population (now exceeding eight billion) requires a greater land-take to provide space for agriculture, energy plants and housing. Further primate erosion occurs due to persecution for fur, and even skulls! Protecting and restoring natural living space can help ensure survival, as can reintroduction of certain species to areas where they were previously extinct. If the human masses can be persuaded to make modest lifestyle changes, the benefits to wild animals could be immense. The large African island of Madagascar is home to all of the world's lemurs. Persecution by humans has been relentless and forest destruction continues to this day. On the South American continent, the situation is little better, leaving next to no living space for many primates. Logging is a lucrative trade and the cleared areas are often planted with cash crops such as palm oil. Mineral mining also causes vegetation loss on a large scale. The situation is indeed grim and there is no easy answer. A thought-provoking exhibition. Full marks to the Museum of Scotland once again.