Five-Year Study Suggests Chimpanzees Strike Stones Against Trees As Form of Communication (phys.org) 24
A five-year study by Wageningen University and the German Primate Research Center found that wild chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau repeatedly strike stones against trees, presumably as a form of communication. Phys.Org reports: Over the course of a five-year field study, the research team collected video footage at five distinct locations within a nature reserve in Guinea-Bissau. This was made possible through the use of camera traps and with essential support from local field guides. In specific areas, a striking behavioral pattern was observed: adult male chimpanzees repeatedly struck stones against tree trunks, resulting in characteristic piles of stones at the base of these trees. [...]
The observations point to cultural transmission. Young chimpanzees adopt the behavior from older group members, indicating that it is learned socially rather than genetically inherited. Marc Naguib, Professor of Behavioral Ecology, underscores the broader significance of the discovery: "It illustrates that culture is not unique to humans and that such behaviors need to be considered also in nature conservation." The study is published in the journal Biology Letters.
The observations point to cultural transmission. Young chimpanzees adopt the behavior from older group members, indicating that it is learned socially rather than genetically inherited. Marc Naguib, Professor of Behavioral Ecology, underscores the broader significance of the discovery: "It illustrates that culture is not unique to humans and that such behaviors need to be considered also in nature conservation." The study is published in the journal Biology Letters.
Let's give justice where it is due! (Score:2)
I'm not calling it "Morse code" anymore, I'll be calling it "monkey code" instead.
Re: (Score:2)
CSCII (Chimp Standard Code for Information Interchange), pronounced "Chimp-Ski"
Re: (Score:2)
Ah, for the more evolved chimps, I see.
Re: Let's give justice where it is due! (Score:1)
Debatable.
Re: Let's give justice where it is due! (Score:1)
To be supported by Slashdot when Charlton Heston rides in from the afterlife on a robot horse.
Re: (Score:2)
CSCII (Chimp Standard Code for Information Interchange), pronounced "Chimp-Ski"
nice one! Where are those damn mod points when you want them . . .
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Interesting how evolution works (Score:2)
Tapping not exclusively used by primates ... (Score:4, Interesting)
... I hear tapping daily from red-headed woodpeckers, banging their beaks on a hollow metal lamplight cover across the street. They are certainly not tapping to find bugs. These sounds travel for hundreds of feet and seem to be a kind of communication to their community.
Re:Tapping not exclusively used by primates ... (Score:5)
Yes.
1. Animals using sound that travels far to 'communicate' is very well established. Generally it is done by males to announce a claim on a certain territory.
2. Animals using tools is well established. Apes and birds do it regularly.
3. Animals having culture is also well established. Orcas/Killer whales, birds, apes all have certain behaviors that are unique to certain groups of individuals without there being a genetic basis for it.
This is more of a report of an instance of all those things occurring that hadn't been registered before.
Re: Tapping not exclusively used by primates ... (Score:2)
Mine especially love to bang on the raingutters right next to my bedroom window. At 430 in the morning.
Bangin' on the bongos like a chimpanzee (Score:3)
I want my MTV
Old news (Score:2)
They probably pounded rocks on trees because that Goodall bitch stole their instruments.
If you're in Seattle (Score:2)
culture (Score:3)
It illustrates that culture is not unique to humans and that such behaviors need to be considered also in nature conservation."
Well, ok. But this is well established, and I don't think anybody was actually questioning it. Any even slightly social species that has any ability to learn is going to have culture, as it is defined here.
Re: culture (Score:2)
RFC 9581 - The Rocks Over Tree Protocol (ROTP) 1.0 (Score:5, Funny)
Request for Comments: 9581
Category: Standards Track
M. Ooooahah
D. McWoopwoop
Banyan Systems, Inc.
K. Noogawonga
Primate Research
May 2025
The Rocks Over Tree Protocol (ROTP) 1.0
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This document describes the Rocks Over Tree Protocol (ROTP),
a profile of the Rocks Transport Protocol (RTP), which
can provide confidentiality, message authentication, and replay
protection to the RTP traffic and to the control traffic for RTP, the
Rocks Transport Control Protocol (RTCP).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction . 3
1.1. Notational Conventions . . . 3
2. Goals and Features . . 4
2.1. Features . . 5
3. ROTP Framework . . 5
<Error 17: Carrier lost. Rock dropped on foot fingers>
They are so close (Score:2)
Somebody needs to let them know that the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys
At least that's what I heard on the radio.
Inventors of the Ghetto Blaster (Score:1)
I wonder if they got a patent.
Five Years (Score:2)