THE CHIMPS ARE MAKING WEAPONS

parson · Post by **parson** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:30 pm

Chimps seen making spears to hunt prey
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By Rick Weiss
The Washington Post

February 23, 2007

Chimpanzees living in the West African savanna have been observed fashioning deadly spears from sticks and using the handcrafted tools to hunt small mammals--the first routine production of deadly weapons observed in animals other than human beings.

The multistep spearmaking, documented by researchers in Senegal who spent years gaining the chimpanzees' trust, adds credence to the idea that human forebears fashioned similar tools millions of years ago.

The landmark observation also supports the long-debated proposition that females--the main makers and users of spears among the Senegalese chimps--tend to be the innovators and creative problem solvers in primate culture.

Using their hands and teeth, the chimpanzees were repeatedly seen tearing the side branches off long straight sticks, peeling back the bark and sharpening one end, the researchers report in Thursday's online issue of the journal Current Biology. Then, grasping the weapon in a "power grip," they jabbed into tree-branch hollows where bush babies--small monkeylike mammals--sleep. "It was really alarming how forceful it was," said lead researcher Jill Pruetz of Iowa State University in Ames, adding that it reminded her of the murderous shower scene in the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Psycho." "It was kind of scary."

The new observations are "stunning," said Craig Stanford, a primatologist and professor of anthropology at the University of Southern California. "Really fashioning a weapon to get food--I'd say that's a first for any non-human animal."

While a few chimpanzees have been observed throwing rocks and a few others have been known to swing simple clubs, only people have been known to craft tools expressly to hunt prey.

pavel · Post by **pavel** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:38 pm

Ok humans, better start working on those opposable toes!!!

DONT FUCK UP!@#

parson · Post by **parson** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:46 pm

i can pick stuff up and throw with my toes fairly well

pavel · Post by **pavel** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:48 pm

Go forth an multiply and be fruitfull!

GODSPEED!

ikarai · Post by **ikarai** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:30 am

shonky · Post by **shonky** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 4:16 am

Those chimps have always been crafty bastards. Still, chimp vs ak47- no fucking contest.

Humans are the fuckin don - watch out critters

parson · Post by **parson** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:09 am

yeah but take away weapons and tools and the chimp will tear the human's limbs off

crash fistfight · Post by **crash fistfight** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 6:59 pm

we're fucked. If chimp join up with cockroaches they will be indestructible. Some sort of unholy alliance.

metalboxproducts · Post by **metalboxproducts** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:18 am

Crash Fistfight wrote:

we're fucked. If chimp join up with cockroaches they will be indestructible. Some sort of unholy alliance.

I've always thought the same about cockroaches and rats. They would form the most disturbing of hybrids. Cockrats.

delendi · Post by **delendi** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:44 am

LOL ^

forensix (mcr) · Post by **forensix (mcr)** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:21 pm

What with global warming and monkey's with weapons our time on this earth is coming to an end

shonky · Post by **shonky** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:25 pm

forensix (mcr) wrote:What with global warming and monkey's with weapons our time on this earth is coming to an end

Should be cool enough for the critters without excessive body hair (i.e. not kebab shop owners and you)

forensix (mcr) · Post by **forensix (mcr)** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:32 pm

Shonky wrote: Should be cool enough for the critters without excessive body hair (i.e. not kebab shop owners and you)

I will have to shave my entire body

dubplodocus · Post by **dubplodocus** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:41 am

watchout for this, hitting your streets a.d. 3121

ozeb · Post by **ozeb** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:44 am

at least it's a step up from writing romance novels...

ytee · Post by **ytee** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:49 am

We're all fucked now. I went to the Toronto Zoo a couple years back and one of the orangutan was wearing a wife beater and started making fun of me....little prick.

dubplodocus · Post by **dubplodocus** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:49 am

ozeb wrote:at least it's a step up from writing romance novels...

ytee wrote:We're all fucked now. I went to the Toronto Zoo a couple years back and one of the orangutan was wearing a wife beater and started making fun of me....little prick.

LMAO

ozeb · Post by **ozeb** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:58 am

forensix (mcr) wrote:
Shonky wrote: Should be cool enough for the critters without excessive body hair (i.e. not kebab shop owners and you)
I will have to shave my entire body

Note to self --- don't hug forensix at 2am next saturday.

THE CHIMPS ARE MAKING WEAPONS

THE CHIMPS ARE MAKING WEAPONS

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