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Chimpanzee tool usage: A whole tool kit

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Uploaded by on Dec 21, 2008

A wonderful example of chimpanzee tool usage, by using multiple tools to fish for termites within their hard nests.

Also illustrates the understanding that tools having different properties are useful for different applications.

The termite fishing behaviour was first discovered by Jane Goodall in 1960, and was the first known example of tool making and usage outside of humans, causing archaeologist Louis Leakey to declare: "Now we must redefine tool, redefine Man, or accept chimpanzees as humans."

From the National Geographic documentary "Human Ape".

More Information:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_chimps_2.html
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/human-ape-3173/Overview

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Uploader Comments (tehinfidel)

  • God, this is interesting. Tell me, do you know what kind of classes you would take after highschool to be able to do this? What this profession called ?

    Where does you income come from?

  • @prankstertwins Primatology and/or ethology, or possibly various subdisciplines of biology and anthropology, depending on your interest level. Much of it is in academia, often funded by federal science funding in various countries, but I think there're a few places that may provide private funding, such as the Max Planck Institute.

    Frans de Waal is a rather famous and accomplished ethologist, who has written several extremely fascinating popsci books on the subject, if you'd like to read more.

  • "No one has filmed this before"?

    Jane Goodall and her team did

  • I think they were referring to the multiple steps involved. I've seen Goodall's original footage in an IMAX special, and she does show the "fishing rod" step, but the extra step of the "shovel" or "digger" wasn't in there (or at least as much as I've seen), which is what I think they were getting at.

Top Comments

  • creationists are now covering their eyes

  • Tired of termite tools that don't do the job right? You need the SuperTermite Brush, with specially designed ends, they give you ten times the termites with every poke. Available at a jungle near you. On special this month for just 3 bananas.

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All Comments (55)

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  • Jane Goodall already documented this 40 years ago...

  • like if you thought there was a bug on your computer at 1;49 ;)

  • we shold leave a bunch of sharp knifes and a bunch of chunks of metal with sharpening stones for packs of chimps...see what they come up with over 20-30 years

  • See, notice how they EVOLVE?

  • shit. they're catching up.

  • "Some smart chimp invented this"

    Must be a chimp version of Einstein, definetly a scientist !

  • @00JakeR00 lol

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