Definition
The use of an external object by a nonhuman primate to extend the function of its hand, foot, or mouth to help attain a desired outcome.
Introduction
Although one of the earliest scientific observations of tool use by a nonhuman primate (wild chimpanzees) was reported in the nineteenth century (see Savage and Wyman 1844), the modern study of primate tool use can trace its origins to Jane Goodall’s (1968) fieldwork in Tanzania. It was there at Gombe National Reserve that her careful observations of chimpanzees using sticks to forage for termites helped change the view that tool use was a uniquely human ability (e.g., Oakley 1949). Today, reports of tool use among wild and captive primates are widespread and include the use of many objects for many purposes. Thus, in addition to using sticks to forage, primates use stone hammers to crack open nuts, folded leaves for drinking water, poles as ladders,...
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Silva, F.J., Silva, K.M. (2021). Primate Tool Use. In: Shackelford, T.K., Weekes-Shackelford, V.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_3158
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