Chimpanzees Observed Making and Using Spears
- Thread starter Walter L. Wagner
- Start date
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Humans are not the only animals who invented tools. Otters use stones to crack open shellfish. Crows drop large nuts in the tire tracks of cars on the highway, waiting for one to crack them.
I wouldn't be surprised if the chimps learned to make and use spears by watching humans do it.
Both chimpanzees and gorillas have learned to communicate in American Sign Language.
I wouldn't be surprised if the chimps learned to make and use spears by watching humans do it.
Both chimpanzees and gorillas have learned to communicate in American Sign Language.
The interesting thing is that it's the females who seem to use the spear hunting technique more than males, perhaps to make up for the difference in musculature. And the males respect the females right to their catch when successful. The dominant males steal it only 20% of the time, compared to around 70% when the pack hunts the other way, by chasing them down. This seems to imply that females invented weapons.
Yeah, I saw that! Maybe the females try to make up for being the 'weaker' sex, so they are 'brainier'. But I doubt that they observed people making and using spears. This appears to be something they pass on from generation to generation. It's easy to imagine that this technology has been around since before the hominin/chimp split some 6-10 million years ago.
Well, unless they begin making guns, I'm not getting too excited or concerned.
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
They probably could not actually build guns, because that would require Iron Age technology. If non-human apes start mining ore and building smelters, it would probably not escape our notice.
However, it would not be difficult steal them.
They line dance now too!
The more interesting question is wither these are new behaviors, if not, then why has it taken us so long to notice? If it is a new behavior, why now? Are apes biologically changing? Has there been some subtle biological change in apes or are there some environmental changes and stresses or is this just a random event? Will other apes adopt similar behaviors?
In fairness, apes have long been known to use sticks in order to hunt prey. This appears to be an extension of that behavior (i.e. sharpening a stick).
In fairness, apes have long been known to use sticks in order to hunt prey. This appears to be an extension of that behavior (i.e. sharpening a stick).
They aren't exactly spearing their prey, they use broken sticks to poke small animals out of their hiding holes. We probably haven't observed this before because it might only happen in specific ape cultures, and we haven't been looking at them for very long, except as prey themselves.
They probably could not actually build guns, because that would require Iron Age technology. If non-human apes start mining ore and building smelters, it would probably not escape our notice.
However, it would not be difficult steal them.
Why don't you just fucking tell them how to overthrow us then, Fraggle?
They were observed stripping the stick of all branches and leaves, and then sharpening one end to a point, using their teeth to do it. Then poking the stick into hiding holes. I don't see where they were throwing the spear at a distance, but who knows, that might happen.
Certainly, if this is common behavior with primitive chimps; the more advanced hominids would have developed it further (which is what happened, of course). Just interesting that it is not just the hominoids that used spears.
They probably could not actually build guns, because that would require Iron Age technology. If non-human apes start mining ore and building smelters, it would probably not escape our notice.
However, it would not be difficult steal them.
Naah, you don't need iron-age technology tio make guns, there are plenty of things that will do nicely for barrels - bamboo, for example.
Just need to understand how to mix black-powder and use well rounded stones for amunition.
Egad, I can see it now. Chimps running amok with blow-darts via bamboo tubes. Fraggle, don't you dare teach them how. We have enough problems with people running amok with weapons Westerners designed and exported.
danshawen
Valued Senior Member
I think the digitally enhanced version of the Gorn episode took creative license too far by making the Gorn, which had compound eyes, blink. What insect do you know with eyelids, much less blinks? The Gorn was somewhat reptilian except for the eyes. It was supposed to resemble nothing earthly, so why it was given eyelids? It's more believable giving monkeys spears. That's exactly why Plan of the Apes works. Primates are great imitators. Mimicking the behavior of chimps has taken us very far indeed.
orangutans make tools for the durian they eat, the males observe the females through out their lives to learn these techniques and complex nests of bent twigs and canopies for rain protection high up in the trees.
I wonder if a caretaker taught this orangutan when it was a baby or if it quickly learned this new skill which would conflict the idea that they need to observe for longer periods of time to learn tool making and use skills.
"A University of Toronto-led team of anthropologists has found evidence that human ancestors used stone-tipped weapons for hunting 500,000 years ago – 200,000 years earlier than previously thought."
More information: "Evidence for Early Hafted Hunting Technology," by J. Wilkins et al. Science, 2012.
Provided by University of Toronto