Tool Use Among Bonobos

[Recusant]

The bonobos have been considered as not as advanced as their relatives the chimpanzees due in part to lack of evidence of sophisticated tool use by bonobos. There is a new paper out that appears to dispel that idea.

"Bonobos documented for first time using ancient pre-agricultural tools, breaking bones, and using spears as attack weapons" | ScienceDaily

A bonobo has been observed for the first time making and using spears in a social setting for the purpose of attack and defense.
Image Credit: Itay Roffman

For the first time, a scientific study has observed bonobos (an analogous race to chimpanzees) making sophisticated use of ancient pre-agricultural tools in a manner similar to that which has hitherto been considered the prerogative of archaic pre-human hominins and other members of the Homo genus. Among other findings, a bonobo was observed for the first time making and using spears in a social setting for the purpose of attack and defense.

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Interestingly, the bonobos are considered less sophisticated than their chimpanzee siblings. Chimpanzees have been observed in nature using branches to dig for tubers in the ground and to break into termite nests and beehives. As part of their cultural diversity, they have also been documented breaking nuts with hammer and anvil, and even manipulating branches into spears for use in hunting small prosimians that hide in tree hollows. By contrast, bonobos were known as a social species that engages in extensive sexual behavior and have not been observed in nature using tools.

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