The first question that must be answered is: Why should anthropologists study living non-human primates?
I suggest the answer is that taking into consideration the different behaviors exhibited by different living non-human primates, anthropologists are better able to make suppositions about the behavior of pre-human ancestors. By looking at phylogenetic relationships, certain similarities in behavior can be inferred due to a close relationship and the ability to fill a similar environmental niche. I also feel that studies on primates can lead to new ways of looking at ourselves. Psychology uses primate studies, and several of these have lead to further understanding of our own behavior and needs. One good example is the experiment by Harlow. He raised many monkeys under different circumstances, studing attachment, and one major conclusion of this study was that attachment is not necessarily linked to food. It was found that infants could become attached to a cloth-covered surrogate, even though food was provided by a wire surrogate. In this way the study of primates can lead to a greater understanding of us as well as our ancestors.
More about Primates
Phylogeny
Classification
Shared Derived Features of Primates
Social Behavior
This is a site I found comparing humans and non-human apes.
Resources
