Chimpanzees are capable of making spears to hunt other primates 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 chimpanzees that dwell in savannahs similar to those from which humanity’s ancestors are thought to have emerged.
“It is not adult males, but young chimpanzees, including adolescent females, who are exhibiting this behavior,” Jill Pruetz, a primatologist at Iowa State University, told LiveScience.
But . . . but . . . but . . . they’re like DOPHINS and WHALES! They’re organic, all-natural, and FREE-RANGE! They’re A RICH VIBRANT CULTURE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE! They’re MATRIARCHAL and ENVIRONMENTALLY-AWARE and PEACEFUL!
My head hurts! Dr. MoonSpirit VeganWomon, my anthropology professor, couldn’t have been wrong! She’s a FEMINIST!
Oh, and speaking of:
“This has important implications for how we think about the evolution of tool use in our own species,” 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.”
In other words, the females are every bit as patriarchal and thrusting and penis-waving and serial-raping as the males. Fascinating that, eh? H/t Ace.
Peggy U says:
I was surprised to see this information presented as something new. I remember watching some show a long time ago about how some chimpanzees use sticks and rocks and hunt cooperatively to kill Colobus monkeys, which they then rip apart and eat. I think the point of the documentary was that this behavior was cultural, that it belonged to specific groups of chimps who lived in particular areas (as I recall, where there were more grasslands and fewer trees), and that mothers taught this behavior to their offspring. I thought it was interesting because maybe this is how early humans behaved.
It seems reasonable that some animals would continue to develop, adapt and learn in ways similar to humans. What unnerves me is raccoons! Have you ever watched those things? I didn’t realize that they hunted in groups. I thought they were more solitary animals. However, a few months ago there were reports that gangs of raccoons near Olympia, WA were hunting cats and small dogs. I believe they finally killed the ringleader, a huge old male. However, it is believed he “taught” others how to hunt and kill cats. (Also, raccoons have fairly useful “hands” and they are less shy of people than many other wild animals). They give me the creeps.
February 23, 2007, 1:18 pmMyrtle says:
There’s only one thing to do.
Require weapon saftey courses, tax the spears, and make those female chimps pay for bush-baby tags.
February 23, 2007, 1:50 pmXopher says:
It may be startling to the general public but scientists have known for a fairly long time that chimpanzees can be quite dangerous. That was the main reason Dr. Goodall used to lock her kid in a chickenwire enclosure if she had to leave him alone in the compound. She didn’t want to come back and find that the chimps had gnawed his toes off, or something.
Of course, she named her helpless infant “Grub”, so we may question just how much actual benevolence she felt toward to poor child. He uses “Grub” to this day (his Christian name is Hugo), but then, he was raised in a wire enclosure, so his socialization may have been a bit iffy.
February 23, 2007, 6:12 pmBloodstomper says:
Man, don’t tell me chimpanzees, like everybody else on the planet, are going to attack America!
We have to do something before they begin enriching uranium! Next thing you know, we’ll have all these wounded hero troops crawling into Walter Reed with bananas up their butts. Chimpanzee stronghold and gorilla training camp discovered in Pakistan! Chimpanzees meet with Iranians to plan a conquest of America and the Moon!
Tarzan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” And the wall fell down!
A chimpanzee is eating at a table in a restaurant:
“Waiter, there’s a needle in my soup!”
A solicitous chimpanzee waiter rushes over and exclaims:
“That’s a typographical error! It should be a noodle!”
February 24, 2007, 2:44 amPeggy U says:
While I wouldn’t normally agree with someone of your persuasion, you may be on to something … Ahmadinejad, at least, resembles a chimp.
February 24, 2007, 3:15 am