Are there other technological animals (tool makers) or are we alone?

Question

Are there other technological animals (tool makers) or are we alone?

Answer 1

Conrad: youre out of date.

In the past ten/fifeteen years, we Anthropologist have revised our definition of man as the sole toolmaker of the sort Conrad described.

Gorillaz, Orangs, Chimps and old-world monkeys in the wild and in captivity have been recorded selectively choosing and modifying tools for proding, collecting and even shelters.  Theres some great YouTube Vids out there of captive chimps making some great modifications.  Sorry, I just had to butt in but its late and im not prepared to make this a huge report.  Memory fails but i believe there are links on the Univeristy of Washington Antho Department website.

Answer 2

There are many animal tool users: Egyptian vultures, Chimpanzees, Darwin Finches of Galapagos, Capuchin monkeys, etc.

Besides humans, New Calenian Crows and Chimpanzees, as well as Capuchin monkeys, make tools using other tools.

Answer 3

First of all, there are two types of tools:

- The kind we take directly from nature (like sticks or rocks).

- The kind we take from nature and then modify (like pointed sticks or sharpened rocks).

Animals use the first kinds of tools all the time.  For example, monkeys will put sticks in ant holes and then eat the ants that crawl on to it.

But humans are the only animals who modify their tools before they use them.

Now, there are some exceptions to this.  There are a few animals who will eat the bark off of sticks before using them.  So I guess you would have to say that humans are different from animals because they modify their tools to a much greater extent.

For example, humans don't stop at removing the bark, they may also turn the wood into a chair, a house, a stack of paper, and so forth.

Answer 4

there are certainly other tool makers.. there is video of a gorilla (I think it was a gorilla) using a long stick to judge the depth of water before deciding whether or not to cross.. there are monkeys who use a hammer and anvil technique with large branches and stones to break open nuts...

and the first answerer is incorrect, there are animals who modify tools..  the specific example that comes to mind is when chimps use sticks to catch termites...  I cant remember the type of material they use for the stick, but I do remember that the chimps need to strip off the leaves and extra branches before they can use it.. that is modification...

hope this helps

Answer 5

Yes. Some birds drop shells on rocks, Sea Otters used pebbles and their chests to opens seafood and apes use a variety of tools.

One of the most ingenious is a termite straw used for fishing. It has to be bent and used in a very specific manner. The Chimp is able to catch termites in their nests and draw them out.

One chimp has been taught flint knapping; making stone tools.

Where man differed from these other animals is that tool use is planned. When the chimp is done 'fishing" the straw is discarded. Sea otters don't have favorite rocks that they reuse.The neolithic hand axe require time to make and served a number of uses. It is likely our oldest tool.

Where humans

Answer 6

I agree with Jen, and don't forget, otters use rocks to open Mollusks, etc.!  Oh, also, I don't think my neighbor is human but I have seen him use the lawn mower, once.

Answer 7

We are pretty much alone in everything, at least until we educate ourselves.

Have you not seen a National Geographic segment in Chimps using tools to get food?

I thought everybody had seen that!

Suggestion, it is not only necessary to open our eyes; we must also open our minds.

Answer 8

Tool-use is regularly reported in chimpanzees. They use many different tools to carry out many different tasks. They use sticks to fish for insects, stones and wood to crack open nuts, leaves to soak up liquid, and branches used as weapons to dominate opponents and frighten off predators.  In making tools, they may use a variety of different materials to make the same kind of tool. For example, they use sticks, twigs, bark, and vines to fish for termites. They also may use the same material for different purposes. A leaf could be used as a termite probe, a napkin, or a sponge.

There are contrasts in tool kits used by different groups of chimpanzees, which seem to be a result of the environment in which they live as well as information that is shared by the group. For example, in 1973 it was reported that chimpanzees in Gombe did not use hammer stones, but those of Cape Palmas did.

In bonobos, there has been no evidence reported in habitual tool use, but there have been some cases of leafy twigs used as shelters from the rain. One captive population of lowland gorillas was observed modifying branches so that they could rake in food that was lying beyond reach of their cages. This behavior was learned and shared as a way to cope with their surrounding environment.

              In orangutans, no tool use has been observed in the wild, but those in captivity have been observed using tools. For example, one captive orangutan wound a kind of string around a cracked stick in order to mend it.

While most tools reportedly used by chimpanzees have involved extraction of food, such as with termites and nuts, or throwing rocks in order to knock their prey unconscious, one in the West African savannah have been observed making wooden spears and using them to hunt small animals.

Answer 9

Chimps have been observed not only using tools, but making them in the wild.  They have not been observed making stone tools, but they do use them.  Orangutans also make and use tools.  Gorillas have been reported in the last year or two to be seen using tools in the wild, but their diet is such they really don't need to use them to feed.

Lots of other animals use tools, both mammals and birds.  At least one species of bird has been known to modify sticks in order to tease out grubs from inside trees.