What if we've just missed a HUGE evolutionary step in Chimpanzees?

Chimpanzees in west Africa (Guinea & neighbouring countries) have recently been discovered throwing rocks at trees.
LINK hERE

There is great debate about WHY they do this.
Is it a territorial display?
or are the troop demonstrating their anger/frustration at a previous event?

Let's speculate that since this behaviour has never been seen before (until very recently) that it isn't very common.
What if... the tree or site of their stone throwing is the place where one of their leaders was killed?
Maybe they fell? Maybe killed by an enemy?
Is it possible that the rest of the troop would remember this? and demonstrate their anger and frustration by throwing stones where their loved one fell?
Over the years... many stones would be thrown... a pile would form on the very site where their former leader and friend died....
A Pile of stones over the site where their loved one fell...

Is this how "burial" begins?
Primitive man... throwing rocks at the tree where their friend/leader fell.... forms a burial mound of rocks... over time they respect and revere the rocks as a reminder of their fallen...
They then start burying their dead... covering them in rocks...

A HUGE evolutionary leap! Suddenly we are revering the dead! and we are one big step closer to being human....

Thoughts?

G

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

Planet of the Apes is a documentary.

That seems like a hell of a lot of speculation. And what does this have to do with ancient or lost civilizations?

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

So the chimps have evolved from throwing poop and
moved on up to rocks now.

And we missed it?

I think that one of the bigger things is our understanding of what we are observing. in the last couple of years quite a bit of forward movement has happened in regards of observing higher levels of intelligence and consciousness in various animals.

Your scenario....thats interesting. I like it as an example of how these things come to be. Very interesting to think about.

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

Recent research demonstrates that the bonds of kinship will not keep a chimp from piling up stones and hurling them at zoo visitors if they get too close.

Practice make perfect.
They're just perfecting their aim.

I think the reason we covered our dead with rocks is so scavengers can't dig the body up and eat it.

Maybe the chimps learned to throw by watching us.

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

Well, I like simpler answers.

We practice throwing things to improve our accuracy, what better target for practicing on than a tree?

a reply to: snowspirit

it takes an incredible amount of coordination to throw something with any accuracy. You have to decide when you are releasing the item before your body has even begun the throw. So the signal for your hand to release a ball tends to be sent before the arm begins the ascent into the throw.

Its one of our species hallmarks. I cannot think of another animal that can do what we do with throwing things.

Drumming on trees is a dominance or territorial display, they do it with their feet, sticks and rocks.

Usually a show of force to ward off other groups, show everyone in the hood whose boss, challenge to the boss, whatever.

Humans do it too. Big flashy cars, loud instruments, cannons, bombs, whatever makes a big sound and shows superiority status, skill.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

My dog bounces tennis balls off the floor and catches them with his mouth.

I can't do that.

a reply to: Phage

WELL once you've used your mouth as a hand, I should think it get's easier.

Now, I'd like to make a disclaimer. I think the suggestion made in this article I'm about to link is absolute bollocks.

However, it does relate directly to OP ...

What Do Chimp "Temples" Tell us About the Development of Religion

Biologists working in the Republic of Guinea found evidence for what seemed to be a “sacred tree” used by chimps, perhaps for some sort of ritual. Laura Kehoe of the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, set up camera traps by trees marked with unusual scratches. What she found gave her goosebumps: chimps were placing stones in the hollow of trees, and bashing trees with rocks.

The behaviour could be a means of communication, since rocks make a loud bang when they hit hollow trees. Or it could be more symbolic. “Maybe we found the first evidence of chimpanzees creating a kind of shrine that could indicate sacred trees,” Kehoe wrote on her blog.

originally posted by: cavtrooper7
a reply to: Phage

WELL once you've used your mouth as a hand, I should think it get's easier.

Of course. But my dog doesn't have hands. I don't want an unfair advantage.

a reply to: Gryphon66

You're right.

Biologists should avoid anthropology.

a reply to: randyvs
My thought exactly (chimps evolve no more poop throwing).

originally posted by: TheLieWeLive
I think the reason we covered our dead with rocks is so scavengers can't dig the body up and eat it.
Maybe the chimps learned to throw by watching us.

They (insightful chimps) watched us throw the rocks we (weeks earlier) had covered our dead with in order to preserve those bodies from other scavengers. Rock tossing was necessary in order to uncover those tenderized corpses and eat them.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

My dog bounces tennis balls off the floor and catches them with his mouth.
I can't do that.

I would imagine your dog cannot do this: play tennis; have any fathoming of the rules or know how to outsmart line judges.

a reply to: vethumanbeing

When lady chimps start throwing out their infidel mates,
that will be interesting.

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: vethumanbeing

When lady chimps start throwing out their infidel mates,
that will be interesting.

Now that would be some REAL evolutionary progress...fire starting or sophisticated shelter making another.