THE NAKED APE

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exact identity of the animals involved this is true. To respond to a panda, it is obviously necessary to learn of its existence. There is no inborn panda response. But this is not the point. The choice of the panda may be culturally determined, but the reasons for choosing it do reflect a deeper, more biological process at work. If the investigation were repeated in another culture, the favourite species might be different, but they would still be selected according to our fundamental symbolic needs. The first and second law of animal appeal would still operate. Turning now to animal `hates', we can subject the figures to a similar analysis. The top ten most disliked animals are as follows: i. Snake (x7 per cent). x. Spider (g-5 per cent). g. Crocodile (4.5 per cent). 4. Lion (4-5 per cent). 5. Rat (4 per cent). 6. Skunk (g per cent). 7. Gorilla (g per cent). 8. Rhinoceros (g per cent). g. Hippopotamus (x.5 per cent). io. Tiger (x.5 per cent). These animals share ,one important feature: they are dangerous. The crocodile, the lion and the tiger are carnivorous killers. The gorilla, the rhinoceros and the hippopotamus can easily kill if provoked. The skunk indulges in a violent form of chemical warfare. The rat is a pest that spreads disease. There are venomous snakes and poisonous spiders. Most of these creatures are also markedly lacking in the anthropomorphic features that typify the top ten favourites. The lion and the gorilla are exceptions. The lion is the only form to appear in both the top ten lists. The ambivalence of the response to this species is due to this animal's unique combination of attractive anthropomorphic characters and violent predatory behaviour. The gorilla is strongly endowed with anthropomorphic characters, but unfortunately for him his facial structure is such that he appears to be in a constantly aggressive and fearsome mood. This is merely an accidental outcome of his bone structure and bears no relationship to his true (and rather gentle) personality, but combined with his great physical strength it immediately converts him into a perfect symbol of savage brute force. The most striking feature of the list of top ten hates is the massive response to the snake and the spider. 204
This cannot be explained solely on the basis of the existence of dangerous species. Other forces are at work. An analysis of the reasons given for hating these forms reveals that snakes are disliked because they are `slimy and dirty' and spiders are repulsive because they are `hairy and creepy'. This must mean either that they have a strong symbolic significance of some kind, or alternatively that we have a powerful inborn response to avoid these animals. The snake has long been thought of as a phallic symbol. Being a poisonous phallus, it has represented unwelcome sex, which may be a partial explanation for its unpopularity; but there is more to it than this. If we examine the different levels of snake hatred in children between the ages of four and fourteen, it emerges that the peak of unpopularity comes early, long before puberty is reached. Even at four, the hate level is high-around 30 per cent-and it then climbs slightly, reaching its peak at age six. From then on it shows a smooth decline, sinking to well below xo per cent by the age of fourteen. There is little difference between the sexes, although at each age level the response from girls is slightly stronger than the response from boys. The arrival of puberty appears to have no impact on the response in either sex. From this evidence it is difficult to accept the snake simply as a strong sexual symbol. It seems more likely that we are dealing here with an inborn aversion response of our species towards snake-like forms. This would explain not only the early maturation of the reaction, but also the enormously high level of the response when compared with all other animal hates and loves. It would also fit with what we know of our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. These animals also exhibit a great.fear of snakes and here again it matures early. It is not seen in the very young apes, but is fully developed by the time they are a few years old and have reached the stage where they are beginning to make brief sorties away from the security of their mothers' bodies. For them an aversion response clearly has an important survival value and would 'also have been a great benefit to our early ancestors. Despite this, it has been 205
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THE NAKED APE by Desmond Morris A B
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book is intend
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INTRODUCTION THERE are one hundred
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some respect. If they were healthy,
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CHAPTER ONE ORIGINS THERE is a labe
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we put it, it looks out of place. E
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The primate group, to which our nak
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Faced with a new environment, our a
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complex manoeuvres could be develop
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The brightest stars in the carnivor
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a pack of African hunting dogs it i
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the night, but the contrast is neve
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in the dirt of the den or lair. Aft
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was a process of differential infan
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eating it, each have their own part
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Male and female hunting apes had to
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feature was its naked skin, which l
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home bases, its dens became heavily
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vital missing links in our ancient
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first appears. A great deal will de
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CHAPTER TWO SEX SEXUALLY the naked
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phase, privacy is sought and the su
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summatory act of sperm ejaculation
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the arteries pumping blood into the
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activity. Once the climax has been
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old females will have experienced o
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stay put and mind the babies while
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-the female remains responsive to t
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mucous surfaces permanently exposed
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areas in other animals where there
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Any body relationship, they feel, s
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At some point, back in our ancestry
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sexual contacts. In this particular
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This may also explain why the male
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lengths to render her as sexually r
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ised his sex life. The contemporary
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apology being proportional to the d
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enlarges it, imitating in this way
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ituation where the female is produc
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and avoids being attacked. A subord
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object lacking these signals. Secon
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is that the prolonged period of inf
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on the fundamental sexual structure
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CHAPTER THREE REARING THE burden of
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is not enough for the infant's lips
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mother, either instinctively or by
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apid during the first two years of
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onwards. It may even clasp on to he
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unlike the verbal signals, they eme
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mother's face and to distinguish he
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oth frighteningly odd and at the sa
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friendly, but if we greet them by l
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We develop the vital bond of attach
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andom and unco-ordinated. The cryin
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CHAPTER FOUR EXPLORATION ALL mammal
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But the reverse is actually the cas
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are combined, one with another, to
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equired no reward-it was its own re
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Writing, a formalised offshoot of p
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and clothing, in furniture and cars
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contacts immensely difficult and wi
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epeatedly bite themselves, or pull
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on the other hand, of vital signifi
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in respiratory activity. Breathing
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under the extreme conditions of agg
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formalised into rhythmic twistings
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sdditional energy on it, and it is
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the grooming itself. Monkeys make g
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signal. (With the arm bent and held
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intensities of it are expressed in
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mechanisms. Many moths have a pair
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largely confined now to a form of s
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such a situation can be seen to per
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the policeman into a position of im
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Page 151 and 152: intelligence that must get us out.
Page 153 and 154: frequent accompaniment of wailing o
Page 155 and 156: of the `pomp and circumstance' will
Page 157 and 158: in profusion. This is usually expla
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Page 161 and 162: grounds. It is a predominantly masc
Page 163 and 164: elements of challenge, luck and ris
Page 165 and 166: Another interpretation is that we h
Page 167 and 168: If they appeal to our old primate w
Page 169 and 170: disposal, we might be expected to r
Page 171 and 172: giving an impression of great conce
Page 173 and 174: the female can then fondle it and c
Page 175 and 176: is it aesthetically pleasing. Its f
Page 177 and 178: significance of the hair. In its re
Page 179 and 180: co-operativeness, specialised groom
Page 181 and 182: it is a strong dose of security tha
Page 183 and 184: If the environment becomes too cold
Page 185 and 186: CHAPTER EIGHT ANIMALS UP to this po
Page 187 and 188: prey-predator relationship, since i
Page 189 and 190: substitute space-traveller. No othe
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Page 193 and 194: point of view, are fully justified
Page 195 and 196: small objects (chimpanzee, monkey,
Page 197 and 198: The unexpected discovery here is th
Page 199: on its back. It must be stressed he
Page 203 and 204: spiders being nasty, hairy things.
Page 205 and 206: symbolically, scientifically or aes
Page 207 and 208: tendencies; that if we have to beco
Page 209 and 210: Heart-beat response: Salk, 1966. Gr
Page 211 and 212: BIBLIOGRAPHY AMBROSE, J. A., `The s
Page 213 and 214: MILES, W. R., 'Chimpanzee behaviour
Page 215: Mimikry der Primaten'. Die Naturwis
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THE NAKED APE

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