Chimps share knowledge about tools

Chimpanzees are known for their ability to use tools for tasks such as finding and obtaining food. A recent study has found that chimpanzees teach each other how to make tools and that the apes can improve these skills from generation to generation—a concept scientists call “cumulative culture.” For the study, researchers looked at data from about 240 chimpanzees across 35 sites in Africa. This included information about the animals’ genes (short sections of DNA, the chemical that carries all the information about a living thing) so they could see how chimpanzees at different sites may be related to one another. Most of the chimps used simple tools or none at all. However, some were capable of more complicated tasks. For example, a chimp might use a stick to dig…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 248

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