Tools of the trade

Chimpanzees show an amazing capacity for learning new skills from one another, particularly when it comes to catching dinner. In a recent experiment¹ carried out at Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, female chimpanzees that were taught one of two methods for getting food out of a novel feeding apparatus quickly passed on their expertise to fellow group members, showing that skills can be passed rapidly from chimp to chimp without direct human guidance. What's more, the groups tended to persist with whatever method their female had been taught, even when neighbouring chimp groups devised a simpler, more efficient technique. This indicates they have a certain cultural attachment to their practices, and, like humans, can be social conformists.

The passing on of new knowledge or skills through social interaction is an important part of life for a chimpanzee. But they're a little slower than people are at picking up new tricks. Their famous method of 'termite fishing' with sticks takes around five years to master, and complex group hunting techniques, such as those used by elder males to catch monkeys, can require decades to perfect.

Ref.
1. Whiten, A., Horner, V. & de Waal, F. B. M. Nature doi:10.1038/nature04047 (2005)