Chimpanzee Culture Chimpanzee Culture Chimpanzee Culture Chimpanzee Culture Evidence and - PDF document

ChimpanzeeCultureChimpanzeeCulture Chimpanzee Culture Culture Evidence and InterpretationEvidence and Interpretation Grou s studied in p the comparative analysis of chimpanzee chimpanzee Source: “Cultures in Chimpanzees”, 682-685 (1999) ChimpanzeeCulturesChimpanzeeCultures Chimpanzee Chimpanzee Anexaminationof6chimpresearchsitesAnexaminationof6chimpresearchsites 6 6 39 behaviors were found to be either39 behaviors were found to be either t(itltt(itlt – cus n a t l one age or sex cus n a t l one age or sex group) orgroup) or habitual(occursrepeatedlyinseveralhabitual(occursrepeatedlyinseveral – habitual ( ( individuals) These39behaviorsdidnotexistinallThese39behaviorsdidnotexistinall These chimp groupschimp groups TypeofCulturalBehaviorTypeofCulturalBehavior Type Tooluse:stonesorbranchesforcrackingTooluse:stonesorbranchesforcracking nuts Social:greetingsraindancesinvitationsSocial:greetingsraindancesinvitations to groom, and invitations to playto groom, and invitations to play PlhiftikdlPlhiftikdl P ersona h ene: use o f s k s an d l h ene: use o f s k s an d l to clean body.to clean body. Medical: use of plants to treat parasites and infectionsand infections InterpretationsInterpretations InterpretationsInterpretations SomebehaviorsdidnotexistforSomebehaviorsdidnotexistfor Some Some ecological reasons. For example, use of ecological reasons. For example, use of stones to smash or crack nut is found onl y stones to smash or crack nut is found onl y y in areas where stones exist. Behaviors uni q ue to one g rou are clearl y Behaviors uni q ue to one g rou are clearl y qgpyqgpy a consequence of cultural transmission Behaviors common to several g rou s ma y Behaviors common to several g rou s ma y gpygpy be a consequence of common ancestry, independent invention, or diffusion independent invention, or diffusion (flibt)(flibt) (f ema es mov i ng t ween groups ) . es mov i ng t ween groups ) . Mechanisms of Transmission: Mechanisms of Transmission: ThidLiThidLi T eac hi ng an d L eac hi ng an d L stimulus enhancement ) Facilitation stimulus enhancement ) : leavin g nuts, g nuts, () g anvil, and hammer in view of offspringanvil, and hammer in view of offspring a mother does a mother does thebehaviorslowlysoyoungstercanobserve.Asthebehaviorslowlysoyoungstercanobserve.As the slowly so slowly so youngster tries, repositioning of hand or nuts by mother. youngster tries, repositioning of hand or nuts by mother. This is very rare. (Recent theory suggests that even This is very rare. (Recent theory suggests that even thoughtthismayoccurtheyoungsterreceivesnofeedthoughtthismayoccurtheyoungsterreceivesnofeed - thought back from teacher.) chimps appear to have greater cultural chimps appear to have greater cultural repertoiresbecausetheyinteractmorethansolitaryrepertoiresbecausetheyinteractmorethansolitary repertoires orangs. : immigrant mother teaches infant : immigrant mother teaches infant tlithihlditltlithihlditl t oo us i ng ec i ques s h e i n na t a l group t oo us i ng ec i ques s h e i n na t a l group TypesofLearningTypesofLearning Types Emulation: aroughreplicationofthearoughreplicationofthe Emulation: a a behavior. :precisereplicationofthe:precisereplicationofthe : behavior Chimps appear to always emulate while human children imitate. Rake example.human children imitate. Rake example. Tool use is a critical adaptation Tool use is a critical adaptation ffffff enhancing eeding e ff iciency eeding e ff iciency IntheTaïforestmotherchimpanzeesteachtheirIntheTaïforestmotherchimpanzeesteachtheir Taï Taï infants the tasty art of nut cracking [the nut is infants the tasty art of nut cracking [the nut is Panda oleosaPanda oleosa] , which takes about seven years —it takes about 2,200 pounds (1,000 it takes about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of skillfully applied force to split the kilograms) of skillfully applied force to split the tithtliiitBtFbdtithtliiitBtFbd nu pu l ver i t b ruary an d pu l ver i t b ruary an d August, the prime nutAugust, the prime nut- practicedchimpcanbreakopenmorethan100practicedchimpcanbreakopenmorethan100 practiced nuts per day obtaining a nutritional kick of 3,000 nuts per day obtaining a nutritional kick of 3,000 calories. calories. National Geographic: http://news.nationalge ChimpNutCrackingChimpNutCracking Chimp Nut Nut SpongingandMashingSpongingandMashing Sponging Figure 3 shows a compound tool TermiteToolTermiteTool Termite ChimpChimp Chimp archaeology: archaeology: 43004300 4 , year 4 , year old toolsold tools Macrader et al., 2007 ChimpanzeeSpearHuntingChimpanzeeSpearHunting Chimpanzee Chimpanzee “Savanna Chimpanzees, g lod tes verus , Figure2TipofHunting gy , Hunt with Tools”Jill D. Pruetz and Paco Bertolani. Current Biology17, 1–6, March 6, 2007 Figure 2 Tip Tool Sharpened with Tool length approximately 70 cm. Bush Baby (Bush Baby (Galago senegalensis): prey of hi c mp spearsc mp spears ChimpanzeeMedicineChimpanzeeMedicine Chimpanzee tion of bitter p lants to relieve consti p ation. tion of bitter p lants to relieve consti p ation. pppppp is used both by chimps is used both by chimps and humans (WaTongwe) as cures for a variety of and humans (WaTongwe) as cures for a variety of bacterialandparasiticinfectionsbacterialandparasiticinfections bacterial bacterial –Infection of parasites drops noticeably after chewing of Infection of parasites drops noticeably after chewing of pith. Chemical analyses has revealed sesquiterpene pith. Chemical analyses has revealed sesquiterpene lactones and new steroid glucosides with antiparasitic activity lactones and new steroid glucosides with antiparasitic activity against Schistosoma Ill chimps swallow whole leave with bristly undersides Ill chimps swallow whole leave with bristly undersides which “scrub” their intestinal tract b y mechanicall y p which “scrub” their intestinal tract b y mechanicall y p yypgyypg up intestinal worms.up intestinal worms. oped their own insect oped their own insect repellent;bysquirtingmillipedeinnardsorrubparticularrepellent;bysquirtingmillipedeinnardsorrubparticular repellent; leaves over themselves and each other.leaves over themselves and each other. Hand clasp Hand clasp i groom style: a style: a culturally transmitted ChimpChimp Chimp Infant CareInfant Care