To further study these illusive creatures, Koops set up cameras to take extensive video footage of the chimpanzees and their tool use. In doing so, she managed to capture a chimpanzee who has constructed a tool with which to investigate the camera itself - prodding it curiously and then sniffing the end of the tool (VIDEO 1).
"This study is part of a big ongoing research project. The next stages will involve looking at social opportunities to learn: how much time do youngsters spend within arm's length of other individuals; how much time do they spend close to their mother; as well as innate predispositions to explore and engage with objects," said Koops.
A video clip from the Kalinzu Forest in Uganda, where Koops is currently conducting comparative studies on East African chimpanzees, captures a male chimpanzee seemingly looking on enviously at a female who has managed to construct a much better dipping tool than his own and is feasting heartily as a consequence (VIDEO 2). Koops suggests this kind of observing of other individuals may lead to learning within a chimpanzee community.
"By studying our closest living relatives we gain a window into the evolutionary past which allows us to shed light on the origins of human technology and material culture,'' added Koops.
A link to the paper can be found here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1098-2345/earlyview
This video shows a chimpanzee who has constructed a tool with which to investigate a camera (Nimba mountains, Guinea).
(Photo Credit: Dr. Kathelijne Koops)
This video shows a male chimpanzee looking on at a female who is using an ant-dipping tool (Kalinzu Forest, Uganda).
(Photo Credit: Dr. Kathelijne Koops)
This image shows a chimpanzee using an ant-dipping tool.
(Photo Credit: Dr. Kathelijne Koops)
Source: University of Cambridge