Posted on 10/18/2005 6:33:03 AM PDT by mlc9852
GOMA, Congo - An infant gorilla in a Congo sanctuary is smashing palm nuts between two rocks to extract oil, surprising and intriguing scientists who say they have much to learn about what gorillas can do — and about what that says about evolution.
It had been thought that the premeditated use of stones and sticks to accomplish a task like cracking nuts was restricted to humans and the smaller, more agile chimpanzees. Then in late September, keepers at a Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International sanctuary in this eastern Congo city saw 2 1/2-year-old female gorilla Itebero smashing palm nuts between rocks in the "hammer and anvil" technique, considered among the most complex tool use behaviors.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Better watch our backs. She's evolving.
Today Palm Nuts... Tommorrow the World!!!
In the meantime, the gorilla is getting a kick out of watching the reactions of scientists every time she playes with a rudimentary toy that put in her enclosure, and reporting back to Oorg5 via mental telepathy, where the stories are amusing the rest of that planet's occupants.
Now those are the kind of tools I like to use.
You've come a long ways baby??
So when is this gorilla going to build a BBQ?
When science is politicized, everything supports the pet theory. Warm weather and Cold weather both provide evidence of global warming. A gorilla smashing a nut tells us something about Evolution. Pathetic.
Science isn't what it used to be. Now it's mostly politics and grant chasing. I respect technologists because they develop things that prove their worth. Scientists just seem to theorize (and often seem to do it badly).
Who's the Palm? Her gorillaboyfriend?
That's the first thing that came to my mind. I wanted to see a gorilla with a pneumatic wrench in hand, about to change a tire or something.
We had a mouse in our house who somehow managed to take the cotton off the end of Q-tips, and in some cases take the whole Q-tip, got into my daughter's drawer, got one of her long-sleeve shirts, pulled the sleeves inside out and stuffed them with cotton, making quite a nice little nest. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. Not that I want a mouse inside, but they apparently are amazing, intelligent little creatures. I'm quite sure I descended from a mouse and not a chimp. LOL
Put her on a NASCAR pit crew!
There is a small bird that uses a twig to poke bugs out of a hole in a tree, doesn't that count? I saw it on some nature channel.
Maybe they could train em to change our car oil??
No. It doesn't look like a human.
And some birds build such intricate nests that last through very strong storms. Many animals do amazing things. I just can't get too excited about an ape that smashes nuts with a rock. Yawn. LOL
I have watch sea otters use rocks to crack open mussel shells on their stomachs and, chipmonks have been using them to open the nuts they collect.
Un-fortunately it IS what it used to be. That's THE problem. When the Catholic Church was a thing to be feared by kings and peasants alike, Science was a politicized to the point of death. Remember what happened to Galileo? DaVinci had to keep all his research secret. Today is no different. Science is at the mercy of the golden rule and he who owns the gold.......
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