Is it beginning? Planet of the Apes ... Chimps look out for traffic and make hunting spears

The post, Judge Recognizes Two Chimpanzees as Legal Persons prompted this thread as I wonder if that the judge may in fact be ... way ahead of his time.
Wild Chimps In Uganda Have Learned To Look Both Ways When Crossing The Roads

... Chimpanzees, for example, alter their grouping and vocalizations in order to evade human detection whilst raiding croplands or entering areas potentially occupied by hunters. Now, unlike a deer stuck in headlights, it seems that wild chimps are beginning to realize the importance of crossing roads safely, as scientists have observed them implementing similar safety precautions to us, such as looking both ways for oncoming traffic.

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... two and a half years observing them around a road crossing in Kibale National Park, Uganda. During this time, they witnessed 122 individual crossings of this hazardous road, which is used by almost 90 vehicles an hour, whizzing along at speeds of up to 60 mph (100 kph). But although this road represents a serious risk to the chimps, the researchers found that they took this into account when crossing and exhibited both vigilance and caution.

More than 90% of the animals looked both ways before and during crossing, and many even stood up in a bipedal posture to check for traffic and reduce the risk of being hit, the researchers report in the American Journal of Primatology. Additionally, more than 55% of them ran across the road, demonstrating that they realize the importance of getting to the other side as soon as possible, and almost 20% paid attention to others whilst crossing, either checking on them or waiting for them.

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Interestingly, the researchers also observed that the behavior of chimps in this area was different to those observed crossing roads in Bossou, Guinea. For example, during this investigation, chimps tended to split into small subgroups of usually two individuals when crossing, but in Boussou they generally all crossed together in a line. The researchers hypothesize that this could be because the road in Kibale National Park is significantly busier and more hazardous than the one in Boussou, so the chimps are forced to adopt a different strategy to make sure they stay safe.

Study located here abstract only

Which while impressive, is nothing compared to ...
Chimps Use Spears To Hunt

A troop of chimpanzees in southeastern Senegal are proving to be a continued source of surprise and amazement for primatologists. Not only do members forge weapons to hunt, making them the only known group to use tools to injure or kill prey, but it turns out that females actually engage in this behavior more than males. This could mean that, unexpectedly, female chimps pioneered tool use for hunting, and that the first weapon-yielding early humans could have also been females. The research has been published in Royal Society Open Science.

Back in 2007, whilst observing a group of savanna chimps in Fongoli, Senegal, Iowa State University anthropologist Jill Pruetz spotted something that had never before been observed: individuals were making sharp spears and using them to hunt vertebrate prey. But that wasn’t the only thing that stood out, as Preutz also noticed that more females were engaging in this behavior than males. At the time, she and her research team did not have enough data to be able to assert that it was indeed more common in females, so they continued to follow the animals for the next seven years.

During this time, the scientists observed troop members snapping off branches, removing the leaves and even using their teeth to trim and sharpen the ends. On average, these tools were around 75 centimeters (30 inches) in length. Weapon in hand, the chimps would then creep up on sleeping bush babies and stab them, either mortally or wounding them enough to make them easy to snatch and kill with hands and teeth.

Throughout the duration of the study, the team observed more than 300 tool-assisted hunts, 175 of which were performed by females. Given the fact that hunting groups were male dominated, with females usually only making up 40% of the members, males were significantly less likely to hunt than females, carrying out only 39% of the hunts. This was surprising since male chimpanzees hunt more than females in general, and within this group they also accounted for the vast majority of all captures.

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The fact that no other chimp groups are known to engage in this behavior is also extremely interesting. The researchers propose this may have something to do with the limited supply of vertebrate prey in the area, which could have encouraged them to become more inventive in order to meet their nutritional needs.

Study located here full open access
I was going to post this in its own thread, and still may as it centers on an entirely different discussion encompassing several subjects really, but thought I would share it here considering this discussion.

The implications of this are huge and I wonder if we are witnessing evolution in action. Surely the chimps crossing a road is adaptation, as is the chimps learning how to hunt with tools; however, evolution is adaptation and while these behaviors are impressive, what is truly remarkable is chimps not only using tools to hunt, but knowing to, and figuring out how to make spears.

These chimps will be studied for the rest of humanity, and I wonder what changes they will go through and other skills they will acquire. Is it time, and are we seeing a new species come into play? If so, why and why now? I have long maintained you do not mess with nature, nature takes care of itself and we see this as nature brings us superbugs, new forms germs, bugs, viruses, etc that get around our medicine, and even perhaps increased natural disasters is a way nature is trying to cull our population itself. I do not believe in overpopulation (different topic) or man made climate change (different topic), but I do believe we are trashing our home in more ways than Sunday.

Is Mother Nature winding her self up to send us a message and tell us she will nurture a different species that is more in tune with herself if we do not get our act together? Will we (homo sapiens) be around long enough to watch these chimps grow into something like us? If so, can we co-exist? I imagine they will need to place great protections around this place. No, planet of the apes is not around the corner at very unlikely; however, this makes one think about what can be possible, and further ... that we may not be leaving our planet behind just for our future generations, but we must recognize it may still be able to harbour, nurture, and grow other intelligent species like ourselves.

I am not trying to get ahead of myself here, but this is fascinating news that indeed makes the mind wander.

I look forward to hear everyone's thoughts, opinions, and other research that you may bring to the table.

They appear to be smarter and stronger than humans.

This Chimp dominates humans in memory tests.........



Chimp rips off human face and hands

So, the real question is.........will they treat us "humanly" once they take over the planet?

a reply to: AllSourceIntel

It's nothing new that animals use tools to hunt.
www.livescience.com...

About the road crossing, i can't see much difference in my dog crossing the street.

a reply to: intergalactic fire

I know animals have and do use tools, especially chimpanzees. However, it is new that chimpanzees are making spears to hunt, as the study clearly states. Your sources is 6 years older but it is the same researchers and the same troop of chimpanzees that it mentions and links to a source 2 years older than that. I guess the released preliminary findings and only got around to publishing this study. The study itself is interesting.

The road crossing is interesting because the chimpanzees did not have a human around them to imitate behavior, the skill was learned entirely on their own. Your dog watches for cars because that behavior was taught by and learned from you.

a reply to: AllSourceIntel

Just a quick story. I lived and worked in music in Hollywood, and I took my small dog Buddy with me when I went out there. Buddy was a little rat terrier and incredibly smart. I brought Buddy from Texas, and had never leashed him in my life, and I didn't plan on doing so even when I brought him to LA, and so I simply taught him. I say taught as opposed to train, because this is what I did and demonstrated his ability to learn. Buddy and I would walk all around LA with its incredibly busy traffic without a leash. I didn't "walk" Buddy, he would literally do his own thing though he would remain within a certain radius of me, sort of like a satellite. When we would approach an intersection, Buddy would stop at the corner and wait as some of the busiest traffic in the country would stream by. When the walk light would come on (as shown by the little white walk guy), Buddy would cross the intersection within the lines to the other side of the street. He wouldn't wait for me to start walking or begin his movement somehow cued by me, he would do so independent of my movement, recognizing that the walk sign was the indication for him that it was safe to pass, and that the delineated lines on the road were the safe trespass areas. Now admittedly, he was an amazing dog, unlike any I've ever known, but he clearly understood the human rules of pedestrianism, and hence was a "free" dog in human society. Of course, though I might be biased, I would have eagerly voted for him to have legal personage status. If you had met him, I doubt you'd disagree.

The Electric Priest

a reply to: Sublimecraft
Impressive! Thank you.

a reply to: AllSourceIntel

The real test is to observe if younger generations are taught the skill of spear crafting. Intelligence needs two key variables to progress, creativity (imagination) and the ability to teach the young and pass on skills and traditions.
We have somewhat of an idea how long they have been crafting weapons. but in 1961 chimps were observed in the wild using twigs and such to 'fish' for termites, and I am sure they were seen doing such tasks before then.
But I found this interesting article about your subject take a gander at this link.

www.onekind.org...

But, from the perspective of how dangerous and destructive we are, as humans, nearly all ape populations other than ours have had their evolution stilled for the time being.

Sorry, had to!

S&F

Some strong language in there, so it's probably not for the kiddos.

a reply to: KawRider9

Holy hell that was funny. Thanks for the laugh...

The Electric Priest

originally posted by: strongfp
a reply to: AllSourceIntel

The real test is to observe if younger generations are taught the skill of spear crafting. Intelligence needs two key variables to progress, creativity (imagination) and the ability to teach the young and pass on skills and traditions.

Very true and good point, it will be interesting to see what happens. Thanks for the link. The use of spears takes tool use to a whole new level and my mind wonders if it will accelerate more learning and creativity.

a reply to: AllSourceIntel

Yes, but can it have another logical reason? Like watching your fellows getting hit by a car.
Just a thought.

a reply to: intergalactic fire
As the article explicitly stated, yes. The point is, no other animal has been observed to do this in the wild and without learning from humans first. Every other animal just runs out onto the road, regardless how many of their fellows have been hit by a car, they have not, unlike these chimps, learned not only to look both directions, but to stand upright to have a look further down the road, and, to continue to look while crossing, and, to help others, and, have a sense of haste. That my friend, is quite unique.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

We as humans evolved pretty fast from our neanderthal ancestors so I am not surprised that maybe it is now time that they're evolution is speeding up as well. And you make a great point about how they would treat it... hopefully nothing like we treat them. It kinda makes you wonder what they are thinking when you look into their eyes at the zoo..

a reply to: AllSourceIntel

Use your indicator you damn dirty human!

Chimps look out for traffic and make hunting spears

So, they are just hardly catching up to crows?

Is it beginning?

No. You'll see crows riding stick-wielding chimps in to battle before you see anything like Planet of the Apes.

a reply to: Bybyots

OW you forgot to mention robots.

a reply to: Bybyots
Yes, crows are highly intelligent and have been seen doing some very impressive things. Who advances and evolves more? I think chimps having the limbs to manipulate objects places them in a distinctive advantage over other intelligent animals that have exhibited extraordinary behavior (crows, elephants, dogs, dolphins).

Keep in mind I am not saying this is going to happen, just think it is interesting and fun to game out.

It would be pretty amusing however to see a crow drive a chimp.

I've seen a squirrel way a ahead of it's time. Walked to the edge of the street on the sidewalk, stopped, looked both ways, saw a car coming from way down the street, watched it and waited, looked both ways again, crossed to the yellow center line, stopped on it, looked both ways again, then crossed. I so hope the squirrel reproduced cause that squirrel was awesome!

a reply to: Puppylove
Maybe it was the descendent from the squirrel on the Ice Age movies ... no longer getting trampled, trapped, and messed around with.

double post