Do any of you Zoologist's have an explanation as to why a number of primate species are born with the orange color? It does not seem to be very good camouflage for the new born.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Adult Francois' Langur
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Wade, current theory is that the juvenile colouration is a message to other members of the group that they are babies so require special treatment as in protection, food sharing, not being bullied etc, and that as the coat colour changes they are becoming more capable of caring for themselves and so lose their priviliges. Dunno if that,s true, but that's what they tell me!!!
Don,
That is about the best explanation I have heard to date, but why is it only a few species of smaller monkeys/apes. It suggests at a "power of reasoning" developed enough that small size alone should indicate a juvenile?
Wade
Post a Comment