New Evidence Of Culture In Wild Chimpanzees (via ScienceDaily)
A new study of chimpanzees living in the wild adds to evidence that our closest primate relatives have cultural differences, too. The study, reported online on October 22nd in Current Biology, shows that neighboring chimpanzee populations in Uganda use different tools to solve a novel problem: extracting honey trapped within a fallen log.
Kibale Forest chimpanzees use sticks to get at the honey, whereas Budongo Forest chimpanzees rely on leaf sponges — absorbent wedges that they make out of chewed leaves….
This is amazing (via Chicagoist)
Spider Monkeys ♥ Jello (via Zooillogix)
Chimps Use Cleavers and Anvils as Tools to Chop Food (via BBC Earth News)
For the first time, chimpanzees have been seen using tools to chop up and reduce food into smaller bite-sized portions. Chimps in the Nimba Mountains of Guinea, Africa, use both stone and wooden cleavers, as well as stone anvils, to process Treculia fruits. The apes are not simply cracking into the Treculia to get to otherwise unobtainable food, say researchers. Instead, they are actively chopping up the food into more manageable portions.
Right-Handed Chimpanzees Provide Clues to the Origin of Human Language (via ScienceDaily)
Most of the linguistic functions in humans are controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere. A study of captive chimpanzees at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center…suggests that this “hemispheric lateralization” for language may have its evolutionary roots in the gestural communication of our common ancestors. A large majority of the chimpanzees in the study showed a significant bias towards right-handed gestures when communicating, which may reflect a similar dominance of the left hemisphere for communication in chimpanzees as that seen for language functions in humans….
the right-hand is controlled by the left side of the brain, which is why they think the use of the right hand in chimpanzees during communications localizes communication to the left side of their brain
Grieving Monkeys Drink Own Milk
Female monkeys in Morocco have been observed suckling themselves, drinking their own milk. The behaviour, rarely recorded by scientists, may have been exaggerated by grief, as each monkey did it more often after the death of her infant. By suckling their own milk, the female monkeys may be alleviating stress or boosting their immune systems, scientists speculate. Whatever the cause, the behaviour appears to be culturally learnt…. (continues @ BBC Earth News)
Hyenas Cooperate, Problem-solve Better Than Primates (via ScienceDaily)
Spotted hyenas may not be smarter than chimpanzees, but a new study shows that they outperform the primates on cooperative problem-solving tests.
Captive pairs of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) that needed to tug two ropes in unison to earn a food reward cooperated successfully and learned the maneuvers quickly with no training. Experienced hyenas even helped inexperienced partners do the trick.
When confronted with a similar task, chimpanzees and other primates often require extensive training and cooperation between individuals may not be easy, said Christine Drea, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University.
Drea’s research, published online in the October issue of Animal Behavior, shows that social carnivores like spotted hyenas that hunt in packs may be good models for investigating cooperative problem solving and the evolution of social intelligence….
Monkeys Follow Economic Rules Of Supply And Demand
A monkey that has acquired the sole power to hand out apples is generously rewarded with grooming sessions by the other monkeys in its group. But as soon as another monkey can hand out apples as well, the market value of the first monkey is halved. The monkeys therefore unerringly obey the law of supply and demand…. (continues @ ScienceDaily)
Monkeys Get A Groove On, But Only To Monkey Music (via ScienceDaily)
These South American monkeys are essentially immune to human music, but they respond appropriately to “monkey music,” 30-second clips composed…on the basis of actual monkey calls. The music was inspired by sounds the tamarins make to convey two opposite emotions: threats and/or fear, and affiliation, a friendly, safe and happy condition.
Orangutan ruse misleads predators
Wild orangutans in Borneo hold leaves to their mouths to make their voices sound deeper than they actually are, a new study shows. The apes employ the leaf trick when they are threatened by predators, according to scientists observing them. By holding leaves to their mouths, the orangutans lower the frequency of the sounds they produce. This is used to ward off predators, giving them the impression the apes are a bigger target…. (continues @ BBC News)
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