An absolutely fascinating discovery – chimps using purpose-made spears for hunting – and it is mostly the females that do it.
The researchers say spear use in Fongoli is performed almost exclusively by females and youngsters. In spite of the fact that the researchers were concentrating on male behaviour during their study, they saw only one attempt at spear-making by an adult male out of a total of 22 episodes.
“[This] strengthens the case that in all likelihood the origins of technology [in humans] were with females,” says McGrew.
…Pruetz says females and youngsters are forced to innovate to get protein for their diets… “The females and maybe the young males too are basically having to solve problems in a creative way because of competition with adult males,” she says. “That may be by technology, and not by brute strength or force.”
This is a population, in Senegal, that is only just starting to be studied, and is displaying lots of cultural traits not seen in chimps who live in more comfortable circumstances. They also use caves as dwelling places, and have “swimming pools”.
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