ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI—Laboratory Equipment reports that anthropologists led by Stephanie Musgrave of Washington University in St. Louis used video cameras equipped with infrared sensors to document wild mother chimpanzees in the Republic of Congo teaching their young to use tools to gather food. The cameras allowed the researchers to observe the wild chimpanzees without disrupting them or exposing them to disease. The extensive footage revealed that the mothers chose specific branches to make brush-tipped probes to poke holes in termite mounds and collect the insects, then gave the tools to their offspring when asked. “By sharing tools, mothers may teach their offspring the appropriate material and form for manufacturing fishing probes,” said Musgrave. The scientists note that just as different groups of chimpanzees use different tools, their teaching and learning styles may also be customized. Musgrave also explained that such studies could help us to understand the origins of human culture and technology and how early humans transferred knowledge to the next generation. For more, go to Ancient Chimpanzee Tool Use.
