Chimpanzees' Stone Tool Use Mirrors Early Human Ancestors

A new study reveals that modern chimps select and use stones for tools in ways resembling Oldowan hominins over 2 million years ago.

Researchers observed wild chimpanzees in Guinea selecting stones based on mechanical properties, such as hardness and weight, to crack nuts.
The study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, highlights parallels between chimpanzee tool use and the practices of Oldowan hominins, who lived 2.9–1.7 million years ago.
Chimpanzees demonstrated trial-and-error learning and knowledge sharing, with younger individuals mimicking the tool choices of older group members.
Findings suggest that early human ancestors may have similarly relied on both individual experimentation and social learning to optimize tool use.
The study underscores the deep evolutionary roots of tool use and knowledge transmission among primates, challenging the notion that tool use is uniquely human.