Deblauwe Isra, Guislain Patrick, Dupain Jef, Van Elsacker Linda
Center for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Am J Primatol. 2006 Dec;68(12):1191-6. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20318.
At the northern periphery of the Dja Biosphere Reserve (southeastern Cameroon) we recorded a new use of a tool-set by Pan troglodytes troglodytes to prey on Macrotermes muelleri, M. renouxi, M. lilljeborgi, and M. nobilis. We recovered 79 puncturing sticks and 47 fishing probes at 17 termite nests between 2002 and 2005. The mean length of the puncturing sticks (n = 77) and fishing probes (n = 45) was 52 cm and 56 cm, respectively, and the mean diameter was 9 mm and 4.5 mm, respectively. Sixty-eight percent of 138 chimpanzee fecal samples contained major soldiers of four Macrotermes species. The chimpanzees in southeastern Cameroon appeared to be selective in their choice of plant material to make their tools. The tools found at our study site resemble those from other sites in this region. However, in southeastern Cameroon only one tool-set type was found, whereas two tool-set types have been reported in Congo. Our study suggests that, along with the different vegetation types and the availability of plant material around termite nests, the nest and gallery structure and foraging behavior of the different Macrotermes spp. at all Central African sites must be investigated before we can attribute differences in tool-use behavior to culture.
在贾生物圈保护区（喀麦隆东南部）的北部边缘，我们记录了黑猩猩（Pan troglodytes troglodytes）利用一套工具捕食穆氏大白蚁（Macrotermes muelleri）、罗氏大白蚁（M. renouxi）、李氏大白蚁（M. lilljeborgi）和高贵大白蚁（M. nobilis）的新行为。2002年至2005年间，我们在17个白蚁巢中找到了79根穿刺棒和47根钓竿。穿刺棒（n = 77）和钓竿（n = 45）的平均长度分别为52厘米和56厘米，平均直径分别为9毫米和4.5毫米。在138份黑猩猩粪便样本中，68%含有这四种大白蚁的大兵蚁。喀麦隆东南部的黑猩猩在选择制作工具的植物材料时似乎具有选择性。我们研究地点发现的工具与该地区其他地点的工具相似。然而，在喀麦隆东南部只发现了一种工具类型，而在刚果则报告了两种工具类型。我们的研究表明，在将工具使用行为的差异归因于文化之前，必须对所有中非地点不同种类大白蚁的蚁巢和通道结构以及觅食行为，以及白蚁巢周围不同的植被类型和植物材料的可获得性进行调查。
