Chimps can learn from watching videos
Chimpanzees can learn how to make tools to get food by watching another chimp on video, researchers have found.Scientists suggest that this learning from others - or 'social learning' - can lead to a less flexible approach to novel situations.
In the test a group of chimps were presented with an out of reach grape, then some were shown a video clip of another chimp slotting one stick into another, and then using the tool to obtain out of reach food.
After watching the video many of the chimps showed they had learned the skill when presented with more out of reach food.
On hearing the odd news, a number of zoos started ensuring their keepers do not take a copy of The Great Escape to watch at work.
Lead researcher Elizabeth Price said: "These results are important not only because they provide the first evidence that chimpanzees can socially learn how to construct tools, but also because they suggest that social learning can have a potent effect on how an individual approaches related problems later.
"Our results show that in some situations, social learning can have powerful effects in chimpanzees.
"If captive chimpanzees are cognitively savvy enough to innovate and socially learn complex tool construction to solve problems, the lack of such behaviour in the wild is unlikely to result simply from cognitive limitations."
LINKS
University of Texas
University of St Andrews
"Our results show that in some situations, social learning can have powerful effects in chimpanzees.
"If captive chimpanzees are cognitively savvy enough to innovate and socially learn complex tool construction to solve problems, the lack of such behaviour in the wild is unlikely to result simply from cognitive limitations."
LINKS
University of Texas
University of St Andrews
blog comments powered by Disqus
