Gc. Westergaard et Sj. Suomi, THE MANUFACTURE AND USE OF BAMBOO TOOLS BY MONKEYS - POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIAL CULTURE AMONG EAST-ASIAN HOMINIDS, Journal of archaeological science, 22(5), 1995, pp. 677-681
This research examined the manufacture and use of bamboo tools by capu
chin monkeys (Cebus apella). We presented groups of subjects with bamb
oo, and apparatus that accommodated the use of probing and cutting too
ls. Four monkeys manufactured probing tools by breaking bamboo strips,
detaching shoots from larger branches, and removing leaves and stubs.
A fifth subject used probing tools but did not modify them. In a seco
nd experiment five capuchins manufactured bamboo cutting tools. A sixt
h subject used cutting tools but did not modify them. These results de
monstrate a simple bamboo-tool technology in capuchins. We hypothesize
that east Asian Homo erectus could have used similar or more advanced
manufacturing techniques to produce bamboo tools suitable for purpose
s that included probing and cutting. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited