Chimpanzees 'hunt using spears'

[UM-Bot]

Submited by Waspie Dwarf: Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology. Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks.

The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution.

View: Full Article | Source: BBC News

[Pandora7321]

It's like watching a re-enactment of our own evolution....kinda, sorta.

[JeremyGTS]

It's like watching a re-enactment of our own evolution....kinda, sorta.

yeah kinda... i remember watching a video called Trials of Life and they showed some chimps mauling a little monkey it was brutal..

[Bulldog1974]

Chimps are more human than most think. They are our closest relatives and have many human traits.

Most chimps, if they live in human presence, naturally take on more human traits. Afterall, man is still considered a primate to an extent.

Do any of you know what level of intellegence a chimp can acheive as compared to humans? I know they can sign language their needs and wants, but just what level can they reach? Shame they cannot speak...we could learn much more.

I read once that a chimp can reach the level of a human 10 year old...that is scary, since most 10 year old humans can figure out many complex things..computers and video games.....so now, do chimps if human educated, act like normal humans at that age?

[Dakotabre]

The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution.

What a load of rubbish, I guess she's saying this in some way ads proof that humans evolved from monkeys?????

More like the Chimps have been observing human behaviour and have copied us!!!

[Bulldog1974]

The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution.

What a load of rubbish, I guess she's saying this in some way ads proof that humans evolved from monkeys?????

More like the Chimps have been observing human behaviour and have copied us!!!

and that is a sign of intellegence to copy. chimps are smarter than what we want to believe. just ask people who work with them every day. they have many inbread human traits. not from us, but from mother nature....they can act like humans in many forms....they are intelligent...

Edited February 24, 2007 by Bulldog1974

[Raptor]

If the chimps developed the use of spears alone, then that's truly amazing. But there's always the possibility that they interacted with and learnt from humans to adopt the behaviour. If that's the case then it's nothing new, unfortunately.

[artymoon]

Well, chimps and humans share about 90% dna, some say more, some less. It's not hard to believe chimps would figure out the benefits of using tools, they're our closest relatives. Even if they were copying humans, when would they know when the best time to copy is? The fact is, chimps hunt other monkeys, and they have found ways to make that process more successful. Whether they learned that from trial and error or through observance doesn't really matter, they know it benefits them. It is possible that early humans learned from other primates, the potential of tools. Obviously, humans branched off and took the tool thing to another level.

[Raptor]

Whether they learned that from trial and error or through observance doesn't really matter, they know it benefits them.

There's an enourmous difference. If they developed it themselves it demonstrates conceptual thinking, which is directly related to technological progress. It means they'll continue to develop new tools.

If they simply copied humans, that might not happen.

[artymoon]

There's an enourmous difference. If they developed it themselves it demonstrates conceptual thinking, which is directly related to technological progress. It means they'll continue to develop new tools.

If they simply copied humans, that might not happen.

Let me pose a couple questions... When the early hominids were evolving, let's say there was a group of about ten living together... is it more likely that one out of that group came up with a use for a tool(through observance or invention) and the rest copied it? Or, is it more likely that the majority came up with the same idea all at once? I'd say yes to the first question. Whether or not the majority of them created the tool, they at least learned its benefit... and that is an early part of the process for conceptual thinking.

Edited February 25, 2007 by artymoon

[Raptor]

is it more likely that one out of that group came up with a use for a tool(through observance or invention) and the rest copied it? Or, is it more likely that the majority came up with the same idea all at once?

Whether it was only an individual or not is irrelevant, it still shows that the species it capable of coming up with new ideas. That's what's important.

Edited February 25, 2007 by Raptor X7

[artymoon]

Whether it was only an individual or not is irrelevant, it still shows that the species it capable of coming up with new ideas. That's what's important.

I was trying to make the point that copying is part of the early learning process. Take for example a kid learning how to swing a golf club and hit the ball, at first he tries to mimic what his dad is doing. Eventually it works, he hits the ball. He doesn't know why it worked, except that it works because he copied his dad. Later, when the kid has played more and more golf, he starts to understand how his swing affects the ball flight. It doesn't take long before the kid adjusts his swing to get a desired result.

[Raptor]

What's important is that an individual of the species was able to come up with a new idea by itself. There's a different mental process between doing something you've already been taught or have observed, and coming up with a completely unique method.

I'm not saying it's not important if they have learnt from others, just that that's been done for decades, it's not really anything new. It's a lot rarer that they develop something themselves.

Edited February 25, 2007 by Raptor X7

[artymoon]

What's important is that an individual of the species was able to come up with a new idea by itself. There's a different mental process between doing something you've already been taught or have observed, and coming up with a completely unique method.

The Wright Brothers didn't invent flying, they invented the plane.. which coincidentally looks like a bird. All they did was observe nature(which really means everything), and applied it to what they wanted to accomplish. They were trying to copy what a bird can do.

[Bulldog1974]

what people don't understand is that Chimps can act and be very human like. they can sign language their needs and wants, but cannot speak. Most chimps in human company take on human traits.

[Sc4v3ng3r]

Unlike us, a chimp cannot build a tool...using another primary tool. This property is unique to mankind, and thus caused technological evolution. Tools used to build other tools.

The spears that were used by the chimps are probably just branches that were ripped off in a way that left them sharp at the edge. But they were certainly not worked to be that way by using lets say..a sharp rock(primary tool).

They are already smaller apes that can use rocks to break a Walnut. Using a "spear" to kill a prey is pretty much the same. The difference is how that spear was made, what is its effeciency?

So I am not very surprised by this discovery.

[Bulldog1974]

I remember watching something on TV about chimps. It showed them doing many tasks that humans can do.

Most memorable was a chimp in front of a TV game computer playing(?) some game. What ever game it was, the chimp was enjoying him/her self. I read that chimps will watch TV, if there is something on with a lot of action and noise...It must hold their interest like a kid. So maybe these cousins of man are more intellegent than we give credit for.

[secondhand]

Most chimps, if they live in human presence, naturally take on more human traits. Afterall, man is still considered a primate to an extent.

Man is a primate. We are classed in that Order.

I remember reading that they were going to reclassify chimps into the Homo genus, but I never found out if they did or not. If anyone culd enlighten me I would be most grateful, as they are brilliant and I would be honoured to share a genus with them.

I don't like it when people dress them up and make them take cocaine.

[Bulldog1974]

Man is a primate. We are classed in that Order.

I remember reading that they were going to reclassify chimps into the Homo genus, but I never found out if they did or not. If anyone culd enlighten me I would be most grateful, as they are brilliant and I would be honoured to share a genus with them.

I don't like it when people dress them up and make them take cocaine.

I know of no one who has given chimps illegal drugs.. why would you post that fact?

Humans do dress chimps up, in human clothes, and it makes them seem more human, but to give drugs, that is a most illogical statement....chimps are more human like than most want to admit.

[secondhand]

I just heard that's how they used to make them act funny on the old PG Tips adverts.