Re: Gorrillas use tools, too


Rich Travsky wrote:
> Algis Kuliukas wrote:
> >
> > Thanks Mario.
> >
> > Here's a link to the original article in Plos...
> >
> > http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0030380#s2
> >
> > A number of points...
> >
> > 1) What do we define as a tool? To my mind nests are far more
> > sophisticated forms of the same phenomenon and yet no-one seems to get
> > excited by the sort of things created by some social insects. The fact
> > that gorillas are able to use sticks to guage the depth of water and
> > for extra support whilst wading should not be surprising.
> >
> > 2) The more significant observation here was the bipedality being
> > exhibited and the behavioural context in which it took place.
>
> Tool use? The first crutches?
>
> An animal already predisposed to bipedal behavior exhibiting it again?
>
> http://www.matmice.com/home/gorillas/picture_of_a_gorilla.jpg
>
> http://www.mountaingorillas.org/gallery/photos/Gorillas_8_031.htm


This technique of yours (find a picture on the web that backs up your
point) is very nice, Rich, and I do love the photos, but it kind of
misses the point.

The claim is not that apes are most often seen to be bipedal when
they're in water, but that when they are in particular shallow depths
of water they're almost certain to be bipedal. See the difference?
It's a subtle point but, I think, it's very important. On land apes are
rarely bipedal. Studies have shown this to be around 2-3% of the time.
In tress, the same. But in water, the only study that has been done
(mine, albeit a small one on captive bonobos) showed it to be around
90%.

This evidence from gorillas has made all the headlines because it shows
that they are capable of figuring out that a stick can be used to guage
depths. Just as significant a point though, I think, is that it shows
how the gorilla switched from quadrupedal to bipedal locomotion in
water.

Algis Kuliukas

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Bipedal Orrorin?
    ... Algis Kuliukas wrote in message ... > detailed substance of what you've written) that your web site has ... >> pointing out obvious facts about apes sometimes using bipedality in ... > is clearly correlated with depth - in waist deep water it's almost ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: Zilhman and the rest completely misunderstand waterside hypotheses
    ... Algis Kuliukas wrote: ... behavioural correlation with bipedality of the Planckendael bonobos ... move bipedally is in shallow water... ... Chimpanzees in Swamp Forest in Northern Congo ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • The Goldilocks AAT Theory Re: Gorrillas use tools, too
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    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: "great distance runners" (was Re: chimps stronger than humans)
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  • Re: Bipedalism in different substrates
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