4,300 Year Old Chimp Tool, World's Oldest, Found in Ivory Coast Rain Forest

[BurtWorm]

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070212/full/070212-1.html

Oldest chimp tools found in West Africa
Apes could have passed down skills for thousands of years.

Narelle Towie


Moden chimps may follow the eating rituals of their ancestors.


In the West African rainforest, archaeologists have found ancient chimpanzee stone tools thousands of years older than the previous oldest finds in the same area. The discovery suggests that chimps may have passed cultural information down the generations for more than 4,000 years.

The human fossil record dates back 2.6 million years, thanks to our ancestors' who lived in more arid areas, where bones are well preserved. But the chimp fossil record is very sparse. We know little about ancient chimps' lifestyles, and only one previous set of old tools, dating from 100 years ago, has been found1.

Both sets of tools consist of stones used to smash open the nuts of the panda tree (Panda oleosa), and the flakes of stone chipped off by this hammering. They were found in the same spot of rainforest in the Côte d'Ivoire. The recently discovered set is dated to 4,300 years ago, researchers report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences2.

"What makes this find interesting is that the rocks are so old," says Huw Barton, an archaeologist from the University of Leicester, UK. We have no idea how far back such tools were used, he adds: "For all we know stone tool use behaviour could be very ancient."

Although panda nuts are found across Africa, only West African chimps (Pan troglodytes) have been seen cracking them with rocks, using a piece of granite and steadying the nut against a cracking post, usually the nook of a tree stump.

...


<Interesting sidebar: Tool use in other animals>


Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates)
Stick marine sponges on their noses to help them hunt for fish.

New Caledonian Crows (Corvus moneduloides)
Can fashion wire into hooks with their beaks in order to get at difficult-to-reach food.

Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla)
Have been seen poking long sticks into deep muddy water to test its depth, and moving vegetation to use it as a perch while pulling food out of swampy waters.

Orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus)
Often use sticks placed in their mouths to spoon out the seeds of fruit, and braid vines together to make rope.

Woodpecker finches (Camarhynchus pallidus)
Spear insects with cactus spines and use sticks to prise grubs from trees — compensation perhaps for their short tongues.

Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus)
Throw rocks at ostrich eggs to break them open.

Green herons (Butorides virescens)
Drop small objects into the water to lure fish to the surface.

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris)
Rest and feed by tying themselves to sea kelp, and pry open the shells of molluscs with rocks that they keep handy for the purpose.

Hooded capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella cay)
Fashion spoons from wood to get at difficult-to-reach food.

Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia)
Place dung in front of their burrows to attract beetles.

Published online: 12 February 2007; | doi:10.1038/news070212-1

[karlrschneider]

1. I thought panda nuts were in China...

:rofl:

[Zhade]

2. More evidence for evolution.

Except for freepers, who of course can't feed themselves.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

3. Cool post. Thanks.

I know where a green heron lives. Maybe I'll get to see him lure fish, this coming spring...

Mmmmm. Spring.

[BuyingThyme]

4. 52 Year Old Chimp Tool, World's Most Dangerous

[CrazyOrangeCat]

6. horrors!!!

nightmares!!!x(

[Bonobo]

7. Wrong! Here is the 52 year old chimp with his tool.

[Bonobo]

5. Great post again! Love your posts! 5,000 of ape culture! Love it!

WRT great ape tool use, it must be remembered that they have little need to invent tools since they are still living in the natural environment that they are suited to.

For example, gorillas don't really NEED tools to break a young sapling apart to get at its inner pulp. They are adapted for just that. If they wanted or needed to make tools, you can bet your ass any of the great apes (especially my namesake) is quite capabe.

[BurtWorm]

8. Thank you!

Excellent point about tool use.

:toast:

PS: You might want to get in on this discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=111973&mesg_id=111973

[Bonobo]

9. Doh! I THOUGHT my ears were burning!

[BurtWorm]

10. kick