Monkeys can make stone tools like humans did during the Stone Age, reports claim.
Researchers explained that they have observed capuchin monkeys in Brazil breaking stones and creating stone flake. They believe that they didn't do this to create this but is probably cause of the percussive behavior, even though, they still need to clarify this.
They believe that this will allow scientists to distinguish which tools were created by humans and which tools wer created by animals. Lead Researcher Tomos Proffitt explained that their study goes further than the study of sharp-edged flakes.
This study proves that modern primate can create stone flakes used by early humans. However, this doesn't debunk early stone flakes discoveries like the once in East Africa, Science Daily reported.
The researchers stressed that their findings raise questions on the development of stone tools, before the existence of archeological records. They explained that their findings do challenge previous ideas on the cognitive level required to produce a stone flake.
They said that they observed the monkeys having a stone on stone percussion. They also reported that the monnkeys selected quartzite cobbles and then use this is a hammer, which toppled the cobbled stones.
Upon observing this, the team gathered 111 fragmented stones after the monkeys were finished with them. They found out that almost half of the fractured flake where conchoidal fracture, that's associated with stone age flakes.
NPR reported that the methods used by the monkeys were more primitive compared to early humans. However, this shows a higher level of thinking for the monkeys.
Anthropologist John Shea from Stony Brook University explained that humans were obligated to use tools to make their lives easier but primates are not. He said that this tool usage is only occasional for primates.
Biologist Erin Marie William-Hatala from Chatham University said that humans tend to give barriers on the mental ability of animals. She believes that this study removed that barrier for humans.
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