Researchers studying wild chimpanzees in Senegal report that adult chimpanzees help younger animals learn difficult foraging techniques by handing them tools. The findings build on earlier observations associated with Jane Goodall, who documented a chimp named “David Greybeard” using a prepared twig to fish for termites.
In the new work, adults are seen providing juveniles with tool items needed to practice skills such as fishing for ants or algae. The behavior appears to function as instruction, since juveniles receive the tools needed to attempt the technique rather than learning solely through observation or trial and error.
Across the coverage, the emphasis is on tool-mediated learning in natural settings: chimpanzees are not only seen to use tools themselves, but also to transfer them to youngsters during learning. This highlights a possible social component to the development of complex foraging behaviors in the wild, with similar accounts of adults actively enabling juveniles’ practice reported by different outlets.
