We are interested in the evolutionary origins of great ape behaviour, including our own.
We are especially curious about the evolutionary drivers that led to the emergence of complex tool use in the human lineage.
We study chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and humans. Our research investigates the roles of both the social and ecological environment on the development of tool use skills in youngsters.
Tool use & culture
We study how, and why, apes and humans develop their cultural tool use skills. We investigate the evolutionary drivers of technology, as well as the developmental process of acquiring tool use skills.
Behaviour & ecology
We study the behaviour and ecology of wild apes. Research topics include sociality, foraging and communication. We investigate the evolutionary origins and ecological drivers of their behaviour.
Research & conservation
We investigate how wild chimpanzees utilize their environment. We employ genetic censusing, habit suitability modeling, and camera trapping. Our research helps to inform conservation strategies.
Complex technology is a defining feature of modern humans. Our technological innovations have reshaped our planet and changed the impact of evolutionary forces upon our lives. Despite the enormous significance of human technology, the evolutionary origin of this complex use of tools is not well understood.
The goal of the CHAT project is to shed light on what made humans the uniquely technological ape. To do this, we use a comparative developmental approach. Specifically, we investigate the role of ecological, social and cognitive drivers of tool use development across species. The CHAT project compares chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and humans – all living in the Congo Basin Forest. Comparative research in a natural setting is crucial to determining the evolutionary forces which prompted differences in tool use skills to emerge and diverge among humans and other species.
What drives chimpanzee tool use & culture?
Chimpanzees use tools in a variety of context - just like we do! Nut cracking, termite fishing and ant dipping are examples of cultural tool use variants. Yet, not all chimpanzee communities use the same types of tools. We examined the influence of environmental factors on tool use among the Seringbara chimpanzees in the Nimba Mountains, where nut cracking and termite fishing are absent, but ant dipping is present. We tested two hypotheses. The opportunity hypothesis states that encounter rates with nuts, insects or tools explain tool use patterns. The necessity hypothesis states that tool use is a response to food scarcity.
Our findings supported the opportunity hypothesis: nut trees and termite mounds were rare and peripheral to the chimpanzees’ range, whereas army ants were abundant and widespread. This highlights the importance of considering environmental conditions in explaining tool use by wild chimpanzees and emphasize the interplay between environment and culture.
Chimpanzees and bonobos: What explains the difference in tool use?
Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives. Whereas chimpanzees are renowned for their tool use, bonobos use few tools and none in foraging. We investigated whether extrinsic (ecological and social opportunities) or intrinsic (predispositions) differences explain this contrast by comparing chimpanzees at Kalinzu (Uganda) and bonobos at Wamba (DRC). We assessed ecological opportunities based on availability of resources requiring tool use. We also examined potential opportunities for social learning in immature apes. Lastly, we investigated predispositions for tool use by measuring object manipulation and object play.
We found that extrinsic opportunities did not explain the tool use difference, whereas intrinsic predispositions did. Young chimpanzees manipulated and played more with objects than young bonobos. Our findings suggest that selection for object interest likely also played an important role in the evolution of hominin tool use.
The impact of our research is far-reaching both within the academic community and to broader public audiences because it touches upon the crucial question of human uniqueness.
We use our research findings to inform the development of applied conservation strategies to protect the apes and their habitat. We take a holistic approach to conservation based on scientific research, capacity building, and community engagement. Our initiatives include local researcher training, educational events, conservation outreach and sustainable development projects.
