Bonobos, sofisticated apes

Source: University of Haifa

ScienceDaily

It has been observed for first time how bonobos, the analogous race to chimpanzees, use ancient pre-agricultural tools in a manner similar to archaic pre-human hominins and other members of the Homo genus. In a study performed by the Institute of Evolution at the University of Haifa, a bonobo was observed for the first time making and using spears with the purpose of attack and defense.

Contradictory, bonobos are considered less sophisticated than chimpanzees. This is because chimpanzees have been observed in nature using branches to dig for tubers in the ground and to break into termite nests and beehives. Moreover, they have been shown breaking nuts with hammer and anvil, and even manipulating branches into spears for use in hunting small animals that hide in tree holes.

On the other hand, bonobos were known as a social species with high sexual activity that has not been observed in nature using tools. Three years ago, Itai Roffman already managed to show that two bonobos, known as the siblings Kanzi and Pan-banisha, were capable of preparing and using stone tools similar to the ones used by Homos to be able to reach food. The aim of this study, published recently in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, was to prove if other bonobos, concretely eight bonobos at Wuppertal zoo in Germany and and a group of seven bonobos from the Bonobo Hope sanctuary in Iowa, USA, were also capable of performing sophisticated actions. The difference between these two groups where the conditions in which they live, being the first ones in full captivity and the second ones in culturally-rich conditions with forest access.

Both groups were presented with similar natural challenges and after a couple of days the bonobos of the second group began to prepare and use tools in a planned manner. Finally, they reached the food using a long branch. The bonobos of the first group also managed to extract food, but it took them more time. They were not as successful as the other group and they performances were of lower quality.

The importance of this experiment lies in being the first time in which evidence of any species other than archaic pre-humans (members of the Homo genus) using ancient pre-agricultural tools has being obtained. That makes us thought the following: where older species than archaics more skillful as we expect??