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Chimpanzee tool usage: Hammer and anvil

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Uploaded by on Nov 27, 2008

A wonderful example of chimpanzee tool usage, of using stones as a hammer and anvil, to break hard-shelled nuts to get at the soft nut-meat inside.

Also illustrates the baby chimpanzees learning by watching their parents.

From a clip from the Ape segment of the wonderful 3-part BBC documentary "Cousins".

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Uploader Comments (tehinfidel)

  • at 3:16 the rock is numbered, is this from a sanctuary or are they wild but just given help for the cameras? dont get me wrong i totally believe they do this alone but just for the question :)

  • @MackerLiverpool Nice eye! According to the show's website, these chimps are (probably) at the Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda, so they're probably "relatively" wild, though closely observed, so I'm sure they numbered their anvil rocks to see which individuals/groups use them. There are preserves that are more isolated and controlled (such as Ngamba Island where many injured chimps are taken for rehabilitation, etc.) and others, but I think this numbering is just from regular observers.

  • may be a noob question but... chimps become black as they get older or its only a male female thing?! thanks

  • @Bashnutter Good question, found a reliable site (with refs) that says:

    "The eastern common chimpanzee has longer hair than the other two subspecies and has bronze or coppery facial skin color. The central common chimpanzee has a black pigmentation to the face. The western common chimpanzee has facial skin that is pink in color, but it darkens with age."

Top Comments

  • why is evolving nonsense but being made by a magic man in the sky reasonable?

  • Pssst... Great Ape Chromosome #13 fused with Chromosome #2. Thus, we have 46 chromosomes. We can match them both. We know where the fuse site is located. We have the genetics... we win.

    lrn2reason

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All Comments (131)

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  • She is hot

  • I want her to be Lara Croft.

  • she is damn hot ... lucky monkeys

  • @MackerLiverpool The answer to your question is actually in the video itself in around 1:44, the presenter states that the biologists number the stones to see which ones the chimps like to use. You obviously have a hawk eye... how about some bat ears now ehhhh... :)

  • I like how she says nuts

  • This gives me shivers ...

  • Thumbs up for baby monkey at 2:03 :D

  • @MadMAn12gauge ahahahhahhahahahah lol good observation

  • @MackerLiverpool She says in the clip that biologists have numbered the stones to see which stones the chimps prefer to use.

  • Caesar!!!!!! <3 <3<3

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