Chimpanzees demonstrating engineering skills

Admin

April 2, 2025
3 min read

Chimpanzees demonstrating engineering skills

Chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park have demonstrated remarkable engineering skills by selecting specific plant materials to craft flexible tools for termite fishing. This behaviour highlights their sophisticated understanding of material properties and tool-making.

Researchers from institutions including the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology observed that these chimpanzees prefer plants like Grewia spp. for their tools. These plants are notably more flexible than others, making them ideal for navigating the intricate tunnels of termite mounds. In fact, materials not chosen by the chimpanzees were found to be 175% more rigid than their selected counterparts.

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This deliberate selection suggests that chimpanzees possess an intuitive grasp of “folk physics,” enabling them to choose materials that enhance their foraging efficiency. Dr. Alejandra Pascual-Garrido, who has extensively studied chimpanzee tools in Gombe, noted, “This novel approach, which combines biomechanics with animal behaviour, helps us better understand the cognitive processes behind chimpanzee tool construction and how they evaluate and select materials based on functional properties.”

Interestingly, the use of Grewia spp. for termite fishing spans chimpanzee communities separated by up to 5,000 kilometres, indicating a deeply rooted cultural behaviour. This raises questions about how such knowledge is transmitted across generations. Young chimpanzees may learn by observing and using their mothers’ tools, suggesting a form of social learning.

These findings offer valuable insights into the evolution of tool use, shedding light on the cognitive abilities of chimpanzees and providing clues about the technological advancements of early humans.

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