De eeuw van de orang-oetan

Hoe achttiende-eeuws onderzoek naar mensapen in de Republiek de mens herpositioneerde binnen de Europese taxonomie

Samenvatting

In eighteenth century Europe the natural sciences were enriched by an unprecedentedly high import of natural artefacts and animals not native to its lands. A notable example were the orang-outans, chimpanzees, and possibly bonobos, that were brought over, dead or alive, to European countries. Their anthropomorphic features, both anatomically and in behavior, evoked discrepancies within European taxonomy. If an animal is so akin to humans, the question arises where humans belong in the animal kingdom. Early studies were based on myths, antiquity, and accounts by communities in Central- and South-Africa and Southeast-Asia where they knew about the existence of non-human primates. This article delves into the influence non-human primate research, the repositioning of humans within taxonomy and the rise of new human sciences that followed within European science.