Adriaan Kortlandt was born on January 25, 1918, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From a young age he was fascinated by animal behaviors, spending time observing cormorants near his home.
as a teenager in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, Adriaan Kortlandt would often get on his bicycle after school and pedal out to a nature park in the suburb of Lekkerkerk. He spent long hours alone there, watching and photographing a colony of cormorants, a pelican-like bird, as they built their nests and dove into the water to catch fish.[2]
Kortlandt studied biology at the University of Utrecht,[2] carrying out his PhD research at the University of Amsterdam on cormorant behaviors. After obtaining his doctorate in 1949, he researched avian instincts using field observation.
Cormorantsedit
Kortlandt studied the instinctive behaviors of cormorants from a young age. His detailed observations pioneered new methods for studying animal behavior patterns in birds.[3] His work provided insights into the rigid nature of instinctive behaviors in cormorants and their importance for species survival.[4] However, when Kortlandt suggested his findings could inform human psychology and medicine, it brought him into conflict with contemporaries like Niko Tinbergen. They believed animal behaviors should be studied as biological phenomena in their own right, not crudely anthropomorphized. This disagreement led Kortlandt to shift his focus to studying primate behaviors.
Displacementedit
In 1940, both Kortlandt[5] and Tinbergen[6] independently identified[7] the behavioural phenomenon that is now called displacement activity (Dutch: overspronggedrag)and the hierarchy of instincts.[4]
if in a cormorant or an avocet a fighting impulse is thwarted for one reason or another, the bird will perform sexual and nesting behaviour. Further, if a sexual impulse is thwarted, the bird will peck its mate or make nesting movements. A nesting impulse when thwarted may give rise to sexual or fighting activities. ("Vice-versa principle".) Apparently there exists some nervous mechanism or centre uniting or connecting these three activities and this mechanism or centre.[4]
1965 Experiments with Chimpanzeesedit
In 1965, Adriaan Kortlandt conducted experiments with chimpanzees to understand the defense mechanisms of early humans against predators. He introduced a stuffed leopard electronic moving head to a group of chimpanzees. The chimpanzees responded by attacking the leopard using sticks and amplified their assault with loud screams and hoots. These observations, combined with the behavior of wild chimpanzees, indicated to him that early humans might have used objects like sticks and rocks for defense and attacked predators collectively.
1980 Experiments with Lionsedit
In 1980, Kortlandt carried out experiments on the defense strategies of early small-posture hominids in collaboration with George Adamson. He tested ideas that thorn weapons might have deterred predators from early humans by putting meat under thorn branches and observing lion reactions.[8]
The most striking phenomenon was their obvious fear of hurting the pads of their paws on the spines. They could easily have swept away the thorn branches, or lifted them up, with just one gentle movement of a paw, but they were much too afraid to do so.[8]
Kortlandt also built a robotic model early human ancestor with movable thorns for arms. When experimentally placed near wild lions, they were frightened away by its jerky motions and whipping thorns. Kortlandt concluded even simple thorn branches could have helped early humans intimidate predators on the dangerous African savannahs.[8]
Other workedit
He also was the author of the "Rift Valley theory",[9] better known under the name given by French paleoanthropologistYves Coppens: "East Side Story".
Referencesedit
^McGrew, William C. (August 2006). "Chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest, Uganda". Primate Conservation. 21: 179–180. doi:10.1896/0898-6207.21.1.179.
^ abBoese, Alex (2013). Electrified Sheep. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN1-250-03170-2.
^Kortlandt, A. (1940). "Eine Übersicht Der Angeborenen Verhaltungsweisen Des Mittel-Europäischen Kormorans (Phalacrocorax Carbo Sinensis), Ihre Funktion, Ontogenetische Entwicklung Und Phylogenetische Herkunft". Archives Néerlandaises de Zoologie. 4 (4). Brill: 401–442. doi:10.1163/036551640x00172. ISSN 0365-5164.
^ abcKortlandt, A. (1956). "Aspects and Prospects of the Concept of Instinct". Archives Néerlandaises de Zoologie. 11 (2). Brill: 155–284. doi:10.1163/036551656x00058. ISSN 0365-5164.
^Kortlandt, A. (1940). "Wechselwirkung Zwischen Instinkten". Archives Néerlandaises de Zoologie. 4 (4). Brill: 443–520. doi:10.1163/036551640x00181. ISSN 0365-5164.
^Tinbergen, N. (1940). "Die Übersprungbewegung [The vicarious-movement-response]". Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie. 4 (1). Wiley: 1–40. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1940.tb00616.x. ISSN 0044-3573.
^Delius, Juan D. (June 21, 1967). "Displacement Activities and Arousal". Nature. 214 (5094): 1259–1260. doi:10.1038/2141259a0. PMID 6070972. S2CID 4171909 – via www.nature.com.
^ abcKortlandt, Adriaan (1980). "How might early hominids have defended themselves against large predators and food competitors?". Journal of Human Evolution. 9 (2): 79–112. doi:10.1016/0047-2484(80)90066-4. ISSN 0047-2484.
^Kortlandt, A. (1972) – New perspectives on ape and human evolution, Amsterdam, Stichting voor Psychobiologie.
Select publicationsedit
Kleindienst, M. R., Burton, F. D., & Kortlandt, A. (1975). On new perspectives on ape and human evolution. Current Anthropology, 16(4), 644–651.
Filmographyedit
WITH CHIMPANZEES IN THE WILD (1992) University of Amsterdam (Audiovisual Centre)
External linksedit
Media related to Adriaan Kortlandt at Wikimedia Commons
April 08, 2024
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Prof Dr Adriaan Kortlandt January 25 1918 Rotterdam October 18 2009 Amsterdam was a Dutch ethologist He has been described together with Vernon Reynolds and Jane Goodall as one of a trio of pioneers who founded field studies of chimpanzees in the 1960s 1 Adriaan KortlandtKortlandt in 1966BornJanuary 25 1918RotterdamDiedOctober 18 2009AmsterdamNationalityDutchEducationUniversity of AmsterdamKnown forResearch on cormorants and apesScientific careerFieldsEthologyDoctoral advisorJohannes Abraham Bierens de HaanAdriaan Kortlandt lecturing in 1966 Kortlandt demonstrates how a goat responds to his goatlike attack Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Cormorants 3 Displacement 4 1965 Experiments with Chimpanzees 5 1980 Experiments with Lions 6 Other work 7 References 8 Select publications 9 Filmography 10 External linksEarly life and education editAdriaan Kortlandt was born on January 25 1918 in Rotterdam Netherlands From a young age he was fascinated by animal behaviors spending time observing cormorants near his home as a teenager in the Dutch city of Rotterdam Adriaan Kortlandt would often get on his bicycle after school and pedal out to a nature park in the suburb of Lekkerkerk He spent long hours alone there watching and photographing a colony of cormorants a pelican like bird as they built their nests and dove into the water to catch fish 2 Kortlandt studied biology at the University of Utrecht 2 carrying out his PhD research at the University of Amsterdam on cormorant behaviors After obtaining his doctorate in 1949 he researched avian instincts using field observation Cormorants editKortlandt studied the instinctive behaviors of cormorants from a young age His detailed observations pioneered new methods for studying animal behavior patterns in birds 3 His work provided insights into the rigid nature of instinctive behaviors in cormorants and their importance for species survival 4 However when Kortlandt suggested his findings could inform human psychology and medicine it brought him into conflict with contemporaries like Niko Tinbergen They believed animal behaviors should be studied as biological phenomena in their own right not crudely anthropomorphized This disagreement led Kortlandt to shift his focus to studying primate behaviors Displacement editIn 1940 both Kortlandt 5 and Tinbergen 6 independently identified 7 the behavioural phenomenon that is now called displacement activity Dutch overspronggedrag and the hierarchy of instincts 4 if in a cormorant or an avocet a fighting impulse is thwarted for one reason or another the bird will perform sexual and nesting behaviour Further if a sexual impulse is thwarted the bird will peck its mate or make nesting movements A nesting impulse when thwarted may give rise to sexual or fighting activities Vice versa principle Apparently there exists some nervous mechanism or centre uniting or connecting these three activities and this mechanism or centre 4 1965 Experiments with Chimpanzees editIn 1965 Adriaan Kortlandt conducted experiments with chimpanzees to understand the defense mechanisms of early humans against predators He introduced a stuffed leopard electronic moving head to a group of chimpanzees The chimpanzees responded by attacking the leopard using sticks and amplified their assault with loud screams and hoots These observations combined with the behavior of wild chimpanzees indicated to him that early humans might have used objects like sticks and rocks for defense and attacked predators collectively 1980 Experiments with Lions editIn 1980 Kortlandt carried out experiments on the defense strategies of early small posture hominids in collaboration with George Adamson He tested ideas that thorn weapons might have deterred predators from early humans by putting meat under thorn branches and observing lion reactions 8 The most striking phenomenon was their obvious fear of hurting the pads of their paws on the spines They could easily have swept away the thorn branches or lifted them up with just one gentle movement of a paw but they were much too afraid to do so 8 Kortlandt also built a robotic model early human ancestor with movable thorns for arms When experimentally placed near wild lions they were frightened away by its jerky motions and whipping thorns Kortlandt concluded even simple thorn branches could have helped early humans intimidate predators on the dangerous African savannahs 8 Other work editHe also was the author of the Rift Valley theory 9 better known under the name given by French paleoanthropologist Yves Coppens East Side Story References edit McGrew William C August 2006 Chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest Uganda Primate Conservation 21 179 180 doi 10 1896 0898 6207 21 1 179 a b Boese Alex 2013 Electrified Sheep St Martin s Griffin ISBN 1 250 03170 2 Kortlandt A 1940 Eine Ubersicht Der Angeborenen Verhaltungsweisen Des Mittel Europaischen Kormorans Phalacrocorax Carbo Sinensis Ihre Funktion Ontogenetische Entwicklung Und Phylogenetische Herkunft Archives Neerlandaises de Zoologie 4 4 Brill 401 442 doi 10 1163 036551640x00172 ISSN 0365 5164 a b c Kortlandt A 1956 Aspects and Prospects of the Concept of Instinct Archives Neerlandaises de Zoologie 11 2 Brill 155 284 doi 10 1163 036551656x00058 ISSN 0365 5164 Kortlandt A 1940 Wechselwirkung Zwischen Instinkten Archives Neerlandaises de Zoologie 4 4 Brill 443 520 doi 10 1163 036551640x00181 ISSN 0365 5164 Tinbergen N 1940 Die Ubersprungbewegung The vicarious movement response Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie 4 1 Wiley 1 40 doi 10 1111 j 1439 0310 1940 tb00616 x ISSN 0044 3573 Delius Juan D June 21 1967 Displacement Activities and Arousal Nature 214 5094 1259 1260 doi 10 1038 2141259a0 PMID 6070972 S2CID 4171909 via www nature com a b c Kortlandt Adriaan 1980 How might early hominids have defended themselves against large predators and food competitors Journal of Human Evolution 9 2 79 112 doi 10 1016 0047 2484 80 90066 4 ISSN 0047 2484 Kortlandt A 1972 New perspectives on ape and human evolution Amsterdam Stichting voor Psychobiologie Select publications editKleindienst M R Burton F D amp Kortlandt A 1975 On new perspectives on ape and human evolution Current Anthropology 16 4 644 651 Filmography editWITH CHIMPANZEES IN THE WILD 1992 University of Amsterdam Audiovisual Centre External links edit nbsp Media related to Adriaan Kortlandt at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Adriaan Kortlandt amp oldid 1208160045, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
