Chimp's stone throwing at zoo visitors was 'premeditated'

March 9, 2009
A chimpanzee

Researchers have found what they say is some of the first unambiguous evidence that an animal other than humans can make spontaneous plans for future events. The report in the March 9th issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, highlights a decade of observations in a zoo of a male chimpanzee calmly collecting stones and fashioning concrete discs that he would later use to hurl at zoo visitors.

"These observations convincingly show that our fellow apes do consider the future in a very complex way," said Mathias Osvath of Lund University. "It implies that they have a highly developed consciousness, including life-like mental simulations of potential events. They most probably have an 'inner world' like we have when reviewing past episodes of our lives or thinking of days to come. When wild chimps collect stones or go out to war, they probably plan this in advance. I would guess that they plan much of their everyday behavior."

While researchers have observed many ape behaviors that could involve planning both in the wild and in captivity, it generally hasn't been possible to judge whether they were really meeting a current or future need, he added. For instance, when a breaks a twig for termite fishing or collects a stone for nut cracking, it can always be argued that they are motivated by immediate rather than future circumstances.

And that's what makes the newly described case so special, Osvath said. It is clear that the chimp's planning behavior is not based on a "current drive state." In contrast to the chimp's extreme agitation when throwing the stones, he was always calm when collecting or manufacturing his ammunition.

Osvath said he thinks wild chimps in general, as well as other animals, probably have the planning ability demonstrated by the individual described in the study. Indeed, experiments conducted recently with other captive have shown they are capable of making such plans. (Some have argued, however, that those findings could be the result of experimental artifacts.)

"I think that wild chimpanzees might be even better at planning as they probably rely on it for their daily survival," Osvath said. "The environment in a is far less complex than in a forest. Zoo chimps never have to encounter the dangers in the forest or live through periods of scarce food. Planning would prove its value in 'real life' much more than in a zoo."

Source: Cell Press

4.7 /5 (6 votes)  

Filter


Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

thales
Mar 09, 2009

Rank: 1 / 5 (5)
"It implies that they have a highly developed consciousness, including life-like mental simulations of potential events. They most probably have an 'inner world' like we have..."

Right, like monkeys have a soul. Psshh.
barkster
Mar 09, 2009

Rank: 4 / 5 (2)
Right, like monkeys have a soul. Psshh.
Perhaps, not... but that doesn't eliminate the possibility that they can think about yesterday or plan out tomorrow in some simplistic fashion. Thought does not require a soul, as perhaps spirit and faith might.
Suzu
Mar 09, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
Lol "soul" argument. We might as well talk about dancing Jesus in my backyard.
Bonkers
Mar 10, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
not the first cretin comment from "thales" - probably exactly the type of visitor the monkey likes to throw stones at.
Icester
Mar 10, 2009

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Lol "soul" argument. We might as well talk about dancing Jesus in my backyard.


You have a dancing Jesus in your backyard? Cool. Upload a video to YouTube.

Seriously though, the research is not implying or trying to imply anything about any religious aspect. It is about the way we internally represent the world and ourselves in the world. We do not represent the world in a 1-for-1 manner (ala Nyquist), but instead use a reduced, highly efficient representation (see qualia for related discussion). One of the most puzzling aspects of the internal representation is how we represent ourselves and this research is a step in the right direction.
thales
Mar 10, 2009

Rank: 4 / 5 (1)
Unfortunate - I thought my humor was less subtle than apparently it was. My point was that the idea of a soul is silly. I was aiming for a parody of fundamentalism. My mistake - next time I'll use the [parody] [/parody] brackets.
thales
Mar 10, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
not the first cretin comment from "thales" - probably exactly the type of visitor the monkey likes to throw stones at.

Bonkers, are you still sore over the homeopath thing? Maybe you need to drink some remembery water. http://www.physor...047.html

I'm sorry you think I'm a cretin. Ironic, really, since the etymology of the word suggests it likely comes from "Christian". Maybe you're the cretin?
Ethelred
Mar 15, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
Right, like monkeys have a soul. Psshh.


Of course you have massive evidence that humans have this so far undetected and completely hypothetical soul. Have just been keeping it a secret?

Why did you even use the word soul? Its not even implied in the article.

Ethelred
tw60407
Mar 15, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
Right, like monkeys have a soul. Psshh.


Do humans have a soul? does the "soul" exist?
Ethelred
Mar 16, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
thales said:
Unfortunate - I thought my humor was less subtle than apparently it was.


Subtle had nothing to do with it.


http://www.godandscience.org/
http://www.av1611...kjv.html
http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/
http://www.godhatesfags.com/
http://www.landov...ist.org/
http://objectivem.../zounds/]http://objectivem.../zounds/[/url]
http://objectivem.../zounds/]http://objectivem.../zounds/[/url]

At least one of the above is a fake religious site. Attempts to parody fanaticism is doomed to failure at least when you only have used one paragraph.

Next time you might keep that in mind. Write a LOT more or passover it.

Ethelred
Rank 4.7 /5 (6 votes)
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • Pertubance in a model
    created6 hours ago
  • Cancer drugs and Alzheimer's, Oh my!
    created14 hours ago
  • Squishing cells
    created14 hours ago
  • Any books/articles for evolutionary stable strategy models in humans?
    createdFeb 09, 2012
  • Science behind the bore feeling?
    createdFeb 09, 2012
  • Homo Sapien vs. Chimpanzee - Divergence Timeline
    createdFeb 09, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - Biology

More news stories

The power of estrogen -- male snakes attract other males

A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created 4 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Grass to gas: Researchers' genome map speeds biofuel development

Researchers at the University of Georgia have taken a major step in the ongoing effort to find sources of cleaner, renewable energy by mapping the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perenn ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created 1 hour ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Experts reveal how plants don't get sunburn

(PhysOrg.com) -- Experts at the University of Glasgow have discovered how plants survive the harmful rays of the sun.

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created 4 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Protein libraries in a snap

(PhysOrg.com) -- A Rice University undergraduate will depart with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created 7 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Miami battling invasion of giant African snails

No one knows how they got there. But an invasion of African giant snails has southern Florida in a panic over potential crop damage, disease and general yuckiness surrounding the slimy gastropods.

Biology / Ecology

created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 2


Putting the squeeze on planets outside our solar system

(PhysOrg.com) -- Using high-powered lasers, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and collaborators discovered that molten magnesium silicate undergoes a phase change in the liquid state, abruptly ...

India probes Google over 'forex transactions'

Indian authorities are probing whether online giant Google broke domestic foreign-exchange transactions rules while shifting funds abroad, the Press Trust of India reported on Friday.

Germany freezes signing of disputed Internet pact

Germany on Friday halted the signing of a controversial international accord billed as a way to beat online piracy that has sparked angry protests, saying it needed more time to consider it.

Health experts, scientists to discuss bird flu studies

The World Health Organization said Friday it will meet next week to determine whether scientists can publish research on a bird flu virus that may be easily passed among humans.

Employers feel no love for unscrupulous practice of 'service sweethearting'

A new study led by two Florida State University marketing professors finds that some frontline service employees who are rewarded for hikes in customer loyalty and satisfaction also may engage in "service ...

Obama forges compromise birth control plan

US President Barack Obama Friday announced a compromise to defuse a row over access to birth control which prompted election-year Republican critics to claim he was waging a war on religion.