Yamamoto Shinya, Yamakoshi Gen, Humle Tatyana, Matsuzawa Tetsuro
Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan.
Am J Primatol. 2008 Jul;70(7):699-702. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20544.
Wild chimpanzees are known to have a different repertoire of tool use unique to each community. For example, "ant-dipping" is a tool use behavior known in several chimpanzee communities across Africa targeted at driver ants (Dorylus spp.) on the ground, whereas "ant-fishing," which is aimed at carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) in trees, has primarily been observed among the chimpanzees of Mahale in Tanzania. Although the evidence for differences between field sites is accumulating, we have little knowledge on how these tool use behaviors appear at each site and on how these are modified over time. This study reports two"ant-fishing" sessions which occurred 2 years apart by a young male chimpanzee at Bossou, Guinea. Ant-fishing had never been observed before in this community over the past 27 years. During the first session, at the age of 5, he employed wands of similar length when ant-fishing in trees to those used for ant-dipping on the ground, which is a customary tool use behavior of this community. Two years later, at the age of 7, his tools for ant-fishing were shorter and more suitable for capturing carpenter ants. This observation is a rare example of innovation in the wild and does provide insights into problem-solving and learning processes in chimpanzees.
众所周知，野生黑猩猩每个群落都有一套独特的工具使用方法。例如，“蘸蚁”是非洲多个黑猩猩群落中都存在的一种工具使用行为，目标是地面上的行军蚁（矛蚁属），而“钓蚁”则是针对树上的木匠蚁（弓背蚁属），主要在坦桑尼亚马哈勒的黑猩猩中观察到。尽管不同野外地点之间差异的证据越来越多，但我们对这些工具使用行为在每个地点是如何出现的，以及随着时间推移又是如何变化的了解甚少。本研究报告了几内亚博苏的一只年轻雄性黑猩猩相隔两年进行的两次“钓蚁”活动。在过去27年里，这个群落从未观察到过“钓蚁”行为。在第一次活动中，这只5岁的黑猩猩在树上钓蚁时使用的树枝长度与该群落地面蘸蚁时使用的树枝长度相似，这是该群落惯常的工具使用行为。两年后，7岁的它钓蚁用的工具更短，更适合捕捉木匠蚁。这一观察结果是野生环境中创新的罕见例子，确实为黑猩猩的问题解决和学习过程提供了见解。
