Chimpanzees know how to use stone tools 4,300 years ago

A new study reveals that chimpanzees have used stone tools in prehistoric times, reinforcing the hypothesis that humans and large monkeys have inherited ingenuity from a common ancestor.

The main research author, Julio Mercader of the University of Calgary (Canada), discovered in 2005 the 4,300-year-old stone tools at the Tai jungle in Ivory Coast.

These stone tools have an irregular shape and are about the size of a melon fruit. Significant wear indicates that they have been used to crush pecan shells. The characteristic of wear proves that this is not due to the erosion of nature or human action.

The technique of pecan shell beating to eat the grain is very complicated. As explained by Mr. Mercader, chimpanzees today take 7 years to learn the technique transferred from these others.

According to archaeologist Michael Chazan of the University of Toronto (Canada), the results of the study reinforce archaeological data confirming that chimpanzees use stone tools to smash pecans from prehistoric times, before Cultivators are present in this African region.

Chimp stone tools used more than 4,000 years ago (Photo: ucalgary.ca)

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