Culture of chimps
It was once entirely believed that "culture" is what set humans apart from the ape world. However, in multiple studies compiled over the years, there has been sufficient evidence to say that human culture is not as unique as we all once thought but instead shares its roots with chimpanzee culture. Through the definition of culture, one can argue that the age-old belief that chimpanzee culture is not essentially comparable to human culture is wrong, and that human culture actually has its roots in the common qualities we share among the ape world, particularly in what has been most studied and documented, among the chimpanzees'. The basis of this argument is supported by the definition of culture, which is defined by mo
This behavior was then passed on from offspring to offspring by imitation, therefore by learning. The movius line separates Africa's characteristic hand-axe culture, the Acheulean tools, to that of Asia's chopper tool culture, the Oldowan. This behavior was only found among that group of monkeys therefore showing an example of a social custom being passed down from parent to offspring. However, as simply put in the article, the cultural capacity we share with chimpanzees also suggest an ancient ancestry for the mentality that must underlie it. A specific example we learned in class was that a particular group of monkeys would wash their potatoes in the salty ocean to get the dirt off and then seemed to enjoy the salty taste to their food. Therefore, there has been enough evidence mounted that not only is culture not unique to humans, but human culture could have had its roots within chimpanzee cultures and others of the ape world. Through an understanding of this concept it has been documented in multiple studies ranging from the Tai Forest to Tanzania, that certain behaviors documented in groups of monkeys in one area have not been observed among others, indicating the existence of a culture, unique to that particular group of monkeys in that particular part of Africa. Actually there have been 39 different patterns of behavior of chimpanzees that have been documented that are all cultural variations, which prove the existence of not only culture, but obviously the many different cultures among chimpanzees'. Another example of culture is found by using what is called the movius line to show the different tool usage according to region. Once again, there are groups of monkeys that show specific cultural differences. These behaviors vary in such areas as nut cracking, fishing for termites, fanning flies, throwing, inspecting wounds, meat eating, hunting, knocking knuckles and many more. Social learning to that of chimpanzees would appear capable of sustaining the earliest stone-tool cultures of human ancestors living two million years ago. If you were to compare the complexity, however, of cultural traditions, humans obviously still remain distinct and unique. The complexity of human culture today was built on through thousands of years and had to have evolved from simpler beginnings.
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