Tool use may be socially learned in wild chimpanzees, study reveals

Chimpanzees do not automatically know how to crack nuts with stone tools, but instead learn this behaviour from others, new research suggests.

The findings indicate the culture of the animals may be more similar to humans than often assumed.

Humans learn to use tools and other skills from watching each other, and through this form of social learning, human culture has become increasingly complex.

It has been suggested that while chimpanzees do not learn in this way, they can reinvent cultural behaviours individually.

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