Chimpanzees have been known to use stones as tools, but researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology recently observed some employing rocks in a decidedly different way.
Chimpanzees have been known to use stones as tools, but researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology recently observed some employing rocks in a decidedly different way.
Video captured via camera traps installed in a variety of West African locations shows a number of male chimps simultaneous howling and throwing stones at trees.
The researchers also observed that some of the tree interiors had accumulations of the projectiles inside.
Though the scientists have not yet come to a conclusion, they have put forth a couple of theories.
One is that the chimps are merely making a scene and a ruckus in hopes of either getting attention from females or encouraging other males to retreat.
Another is that the activity is somehow ritualistic.
In the study, the team comments on the significance of rock groupings that have been created by humans over the over the eons, including those that mark paths, food, and areas of symbolic importance.
The researchers also note, “…archaeological evidence from nonhuman primates can be compared to our own. Any similarities may not only challenge, but may also illuminate the interpretations of stone accumulations in human prehistory.”
