Continuing Investigations into the Stone Tool-making and Tool-using Capabilities of a Bonobo (Pan paniscus)

Citation: Schick, K. D., Toth, N., Garufi, G., Savage-Rumbaugh, E. S., Rumbaugh, D., & Sevcik, R. (1999) Continuing Investigations into the Stone Tool-making and Tool-using Capabilities of a Bonobo (Pan paniscus). Journal of Archaeological Science (RSS)
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Tagged: Anthropology (RSS)

Summary

In palaeoanthropology, the evolution of early prehistoric hominid cognitive abilities and motor skills is a controversial problem. Though hominids supposedly do not have the intelligence and cognition to produce anything in the prehistoric record, stone artifacts give us a glimpse of part of their life. Many researchers have also used flaked stone tools to compare the abilities in prehistoric hominids, modern humans, and modern non-humans. Various researchers have looked at non-humans such as an orangutan or a bonobo to see if they could create stone tools. If a non-human with the competence of a 1 – 1 ½ year old human could make and use a stone tool, then the possibility that a hominid was able to also reproduce this is very high.

In this study, they continued to use Kanzi (the bonobo) to test his stone-working skills after 3 years. Kanzi was given 11 experiments while each experiment had various trials (5-17). During these experiments, Kanzi was given one unmodified chert for flaking and one spherical quartzite or lava cobble to act as a hammerstone/anvil. The chert were continuously used for the different trials, however, the chert also displayed difficult angles Kanzi would have to deal with in order to produce a functional flake. During the experiment, a tough plastic container was used to seal a box where a food prize could be obtained if a sharp stone tool cut it open.

Theoretical and Practical Relevance

Kanzi was able to produce flakes by using his favorite technique, by throwing a cobble against a hard surface or other cobble to initiate a fracture. By doing this, Kanzi is able to use more force to initiate fractures than when he flakes a hand-held core. He also produces bolder, more invasive flake scars by doing this which results in less step or hinge terminations. Kanzi also did not show any signs of intended modifying or retouching of edges. The flakes, however, did have consistent thick platforms, prominent blubs, and steep exterior platform angles. Kanzi was also able to identify how sharp a tool was by putting it in his mouth and testing the edge with his tongue. Despite this, however, Kanzi still preferred larger, heavier pieces as tools than smaller, sharper flakes.

By studying primates or, more specifically to this study, Kanzi it allows researchers to study more in-depth about the possible relationship past humans could have had with non-humans. Something Kanzi also displayed was a new way of flaking by throwing the cobble onto the anvil/hammerstone and giving a comparison as to how hominids could produce these artifacts as compared with non-humans.