Ecology of Tool Use in Wild Chimpanzees: Toward Reconstruction of Early Hominid Evolution

摘要: The emergence and evolution of human technology is a central issue in evolutionary anthropology. To date, most evidence has come from stone artifacts found together with hominid fossils (e.g., Leakey 1971). oldest known tools manufactured by hominids date back to about 2.5 million years ago (Semaw et al. 1997). According recent molecular studies, however, the lineage diverged chimpanzee-bonobo 6 Sibley Ahlquist 1984). It follows that we have no tool use early period 6-2.5 ago, more than half history. Should assume they did not tools? answer probably no. Because organic matter such as sticks leaves material likely been used for tools, any would quickly decomposed are unlikely fossilized. Many textbooks end their discussion simply saying must same extent modern chimpanzees. However, chimpanzees’ regarded opportunistic, thought only trivial effect on subsistence Mann 1972).