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Chimps in Senegal found to fashion spears for hunting
Phys.org ^ | 4/15/15 | Bob Yirka

Posted on 04/15/2015 10:59:08 AM PDT by LibWhacker

(Phys.org)—Members of a troop of chimpanzees living at a site called Fongoli in southeastern Senegal have been observed by scientists fashioning tree branches into spears and using them to hunt and kill bushbabies. The researchers, a combined team with members from the U.S. the U.K. and Germany have published their observations and findings in Royal Society Open Science.

In their seven year study of the chimps living at the site, the researchers spotted chimpanzees breaking off tree branches, tearing off smaller branches and leaves, removing the weak tips and sometimes gnawing on the ends to sharpen them. The spears (which were on average about 75 centimeters long) were then used to stab bushbabies sleeping in their nests in tree hollows. The poking, the team reports was not lethal, instead, it caused injuries to the bushbabies which was enough to allow the chimps to bite and kill them with relative ease.

Bushbabies are small primates with big eyes and sharp teeth, and serve as a primary protein source for the chimps living in that part of Africa, where other sources are rare. The researchers began their study in 2007, observing chimp behavior up until last year. During that time period they recorded 308 spear hunting events, which they noted, was more common for females than males—they accounted for 61 percent of the total. The researchers suggest this is likely the case because it is more difficult for females to chase down prey because they almost always have offspring clinging to their bodies. To date, the chimps are the only known animal to use a tool as a weapon to hunt a "large" animal, other than humans—chimps in other troops have been seen to use twigs as tools to help collect termites, but scientists do not count that as hunting.

The researchers also found that the troop at Fongoli was a much more cooperative collective than has been found in chimp troops in other parts of Africa—dominant males, for example, allow females and smaller males to keep and eat what they kill, rather than stealing it from them. That might help explain the development of tool use, which the team speculates, likely began with females. They also suggest the same might be said for early humans, who developed weapons use in a very similar environment.


TOPICS: Pets/Animals; Science
KEYWORDS: bushbabies; chimps; senegal; spears
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1 posted on 04/15/2015 10:59:08 AM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

And so it begins ...


2 posted on 04/15/2015 11:01:12 AM PDT by jjsheridan5 (The next Ronald Reagan will not be a Republican, but rather a former Republican)
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To: LibWhacker

A whole new market for AR-15s.


3 posted on 04/15/2015 11:01:23 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Monkeys prefer AKs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNW30bLTP0Y


4 posted on 04/15/2015 11:07:00 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (RINOS like Romney, McCain, Christie are sure losers. No more!)
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To: LibWhacker

Throw them some Air Jordans —what happens..?


5 posted on 04/15/2015 11:07:38 AM PDT by gaijin
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To: LibWhacker

Have they found an alien monolith nearby?


6 posted on 04/15/2015 11:07:47 AM PDT by linear (Fealty to no man or party.)
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To: LibWhacker

Oh oh. Maybe I need to watch Planet of the Apes again. Fascinating.


7 posted on 04/15/2015 11:08:00 AM PDT by dowcaet
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To: LibWhacker

Are they from their 3D printers?


8 posted on 04/15/2015 11:08:16 AM PDT by showme_the_Glory ((ILLEGAL: prohibited by law. ALIEN: Owing political allegiance to another country or government))
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To: LibWhacker

9 posted on 04/15/2015 11:08:35 AM PDT by Bobalu (If we live to see 2017 we will be kissing the ground)
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To: LibWhacker

So they are saying they were chucking spears?


10 posted on 04/15/2015 11:08:57 AM PDT by Cyman (We have to pass it to see what's in it= definition of stool sample)
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To: LibWhacker

Birds are even smarter. They take pieces of straw and fashion tiny homes for themselves. Soon they’ll be driving cars.


11 posted on 04/15/2015 11:12:17 AM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: linear
I have the action figure :)


12 posted on 04/15/2015 11:13:16 AM PDT by xp38
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

Birds are even smarter.

Birds and Chimps are smarter than 45% of the US population.


13 posted on 04/15/2015 11:18:03 AM PDT by Leep (To put it in laymen's terms liberal/progressive ist coo coo.)
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To: LibWhacker
This is about a decade old news, at least. I heard about it on "Quirks & Quarks" on SW at the time, wondered what the heck a bush baby was, other than some small African rodent that lived in "tree" hollows, and was food for monkeys.

I had picked up an anniversary edition of "2001: A Space Odyssey", and danged if Heywood Floyd wasn't considering getting a bush baby as a pet for his offspring.

14 posted on 04/15/2015 11:24:34 AM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: LibWhacker

in Chicago they use .44s.


15 posted on 04/15/2015 11:25:23 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie (The media must be defeated any way it can be done.)
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To: LibWhacker

Monkey See, Monkey Do


16 posted on 04/15/2015 11:26:00 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Doctrine doesn't change. The trick is to find a way around it.)
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To: xp38

Even better.

17 posted on 04/15/2015 11:27:17 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: MrB

True but not really available as it was a brilliant one off joke by a fanboy.


19 posted on 04/15/2015 11:34:30 AM PDT by xp38
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To: xp38

So.. the monolith... is it truly 1X4X9 (first three squares) to the nearest 10 millionth of a millimeter?


20 posted on 04/15/2015 11:38:51 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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