Monkeys Observed Making Stone Tools

Capuchin monkey create similar stone tools to those made by human ancestors.

A recent study contests the idea that creation of stone tools was a unique skill to humans. Researchers that observed monkey saw they were also able to create stone flakes, small rocks with a sharp edge.

Researchers working in the Serra da Capivara National Park, in the eastern region of Brazil, observed capuchin monkeys gathering stones made from quartzite and intentionally smashing them against other similar stones. The researchers analyzed the respective stones and found that the monkey created stone flakes with a sharp-edge which were very similar to other stone tools attributed to our ancestors like the homonis, during the long history of our evolution.

Although the study doesn’t suggest that the monkeys are intentionally creating the stone flakes with a certain purpose in mind, the researchers have only emphasized that their production was not exclusive to humans. The findings of this new study, which were published in the journal Nature, does seem to reinforce last year’s discovery of stone flakes older than our genus.

During the observation of the behavior of these monkeys, several distinctions arise as pointed out by various scientists and experts. The monkeys hit quartz rocks against each other not with the purpose of creating flakes as they do not use them for anything, and instead just licking the quartz dust. As such, experts have stated the stone flakes although similar with earliest flakes produced by hominis, were only a byproduct and not the intended result.

Additionally, hominis created stone flakes with the purpose of cutting things while the capuchins just ignore them. The behavior of the observed monkey and the similarity with early stone flakes produced by hominis is an important lesson for archaeologists. It serves to remind them to not declare any stone flakes as early human stone tools. More research and analysis of the flakes is required in order to accurately state by who and for what purpose, it was used for.

Discovering why the monkeys exhibit the behavior of banging quartz rocks together could make for an interesting finding. Why do they lick the quartz dust produced in the process? Does it contain any nutrients or does it just taste good for the monkeys?

Image source: Wikipedia

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Karen Jackson

Karen Jackson has always been passionate about technology. All the way through high-school she immersed herself in computers and web-design. Her ambitious nature helped her become a pro in Adobe Photoshop only by watching online videos and working with the program herself. This is also the program that she mostly uses in the creation of websites at her work-place. Technological innovation and gadgets that push the boundaries of what we are comfortable with have always fascinated her, so expect to see some weird gadget reviews coming from her.