ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces some evidence from physical anthropology concerning the fate of elderly apes, both male and female, from the most advanced and socially organized pongid species. It shows that the situation of the older man, at the simpler, more primitive levels of human social organization: hunter-gatherers, as well as the preliterate folk-traditional societies. The chapter explains the generic human practices and institutions that may be instrumental in bringing about some crucial man-ape differences in the psychology of the aged, and in the social treatment of senior males. By contrast to their twice-born mates, male apes have one life: an existence centered on their muscular strength and on their capacity to command sexual favors by virtue of their successful aggression against other males. Scattered reports mention aging males who do remain with the primate troop even though they no longer hold a dominant position vis-à-vis other males.
