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Erika Quintero
Professor Haas
Writing 37
30 January 2015
Conducting Scientific Experiments on our Nonhuman Primate Siblings
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 70,000 nonhuman
primates are used for research in the U.S. each year, and another 45,000 are held or bred for
research. Presently, scientists are using primates as animal models for pharmaceutical and
psychological experiments. Nonhuman primates are used for a variety of scientific experiments;
for example, Mark M. Churchland, a neuroscientist from Columbia University, conducts research
to understand the neural dynamics that allow the brain to generate its own activity. This
research practice is built upon the foundational knowledge that nonhuman primates share
sufficient psychological similarities with humans as to serve as humanlike models. However,
Jeffrey Kluger, a senior writer at TIME Magazine, claims that we should be concerned about
how we treat these primates, since they are so similar to humans (Kluger). This makes the topic
of primates used in scientific experiments one of the most controversial topics. Because of the
significant similarities primates share with humans, it makes us question whether the action of
experimenting on them is ethical.
Furthermore, sociologist and animal studies scholar Dr. Leslie Irvine argues that humans
were woefully ill equipped for the Bibles command to have dominion over every living thing
that moveth upon earth (37, Genesis 1:28). Dr. Irvine demonstrates that humans have not only
misinterpreted the Bibles command, but that they are also cruel beings by experimenting on
animals in such inhumane ways. In Grant Morrisons interview from Disney With Fangs,
Morrison elaborates that we are cruel to animals because we can get away with doing so, in

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typical bully style (Morrison). Unfortunately, the fact that animals cant speak is a reason as to
why we are able to treat them in the similar way that a bullied child doesnt feel the power to
speak up or tell on the bully.
According to the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, a national animal advocacy
organization, the Animal Welfare Act sets minimal standards for the overall well-being of warmblooded animals, like chimpanzees (2015). Primates are like children and they require a lot of
care and attention. However, they arent fed as well as they need to be fed and they are trapped in
cages. Although the use of primates for scientific research may be the foundation of great
scientific discoveries, the harsh methods used need significant improvement for the well-being of
these creatures.
Using animals in scientific research has thus far been beneficial to humanity. For
instance, Dr. Churchland is currently using primates for his research in hopes of gaining a better
understanding of neural dynamics. Specifically, he hopes to understand how the brain generates
and controls movement normally in order to see how this process goes awry in disease
(Churchland). The use of primates in this case, and in many cases, is preferred because they are
so similar to humans. For example, Jeffrey Kluger explains that the scientists at the Great Ape
Trust narrate the lives of their bonobos as if they were their own children (Kluger). Some of the
similarities that primates and humans hold are the abilities to build thoughts and sentences and
express feelings in multiple ways.
Moreover, our directive to have dominion consisted of merely using animals as helpers
for what we, as humans, can not do. It was supposed to give animals a special status along the
borderline of the human-animal divide (Irvine 37). Instead, we misinterpreted the command of
dominion and made it a command of lethal technology and used it as an excuse for our
childlike enthusiasm for wanton destruction (Morrison). Although this statement is a bit

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exaggerated, it describes how humans have taken advantage of their power over helpless animals
for our own cruel experimentation. Although laws like the Animal Welfare Act are implemented
for the well-being of the animals that are used for research, it is impossible to determine the
precise number of animals in U.S. laboratories. Just as it is impossible to make 100% sure that
the labs are doing their best to ensure that the animals are in stable physical and psychological
condition (Laws and Regulations | Animal Use in Research).
It is undeniable that the use of primates in scientific experiments have helped humankind
progress and save many lives through psychological experiments. However, many, if not all, of
the primates used in scientific experiments undergo painful and traumatic procedures. Because
primates are so similar to humans, they should be treated more like us; therefore, individual
scientists should empathize more with the primates that they are conducting research on in order
for them to be treated more humanely.
Works Cited
Brady, Matt. Disney With Fangs. Newsarama. September 29, 2007. 20 Jan. 2015
Churchland, Mark M., Ph.D. "Laboratory of Mark M. Churchland." Columbia University in
the City of New York, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.
Irvine, Leslie. Them and Us. If You Tame Me: Understanding Our Connections With
Animals. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2004. N. pag. Print.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "Inside the Minds of Animals." Time. Time Inc., 05 Aug. 2010. Web. 29 Jan.
2015.
"Laws and Regulations | Animal Use in Research." Laws and Regulations | Animal Use in
Research. New England Anti-Vivisection Society, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

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"Nonhuman Primates." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA, n.d. Web. 29 Jan.
2015.