Chimps Make Spears and Hunt Bushbabies | 台北市立動物園資訊網

2007年2月22日—Chimpanzeesarecapableofmakingspearstohuntotherprimatesandhavebeenseenusingtheweaponstoapparentlykillbushbabiesfor ...

Chimpanzees are capable of making spears to hunt other primates[1] and have been seen using the weapons to apparently kill bushbabies for meat, scientists announced today.

The researchers based their findings on observations of omnivorous chimps[2] [image] that dwell in savannahs similar to those from which humanitys ancestors[3] are thought to have emerged.

"It is not adult males, but young chimpanzees, including adolescent[4] females, who are exhibiting this behavior," Jill Pruetz, a primatologist at Iowa State University, told LiveScience.

"This has important implications for how we think about the evolution of tool use in our own species[5]," Pruetz added. "We have tended to emphasize the role of adult males in hunting, and this research supports the assertion that we should not ignore females and other individuals."

Earlier this month, scientists reported that chimpanzees used stone tools[6] as early as 4,300 years ago, suggesting that they learned to ...