Long-tailed macaques from Phang Nga National Park (Thailand) have a useful skill: they crack nuts with stones. Some stones themselves “fail” as a result. At the same time, their fragments are outwardly almost identical to the tools of early hominids, including Australopithecus, found in Africa.
According to Gismeteo, according to Dr. Thomas Proffit, macaques’ use of stone tools is not surprising in itself and has long been known. More curiously, in doing so, the apes are essentially creating future archaeological artifacts, many of which cannot be distinguished from those of ancient hominids.
The discovery will help better understand how our ancestors came up with the idea of creating such tools, including deliberately made flakes, scrapers, etc. But by leaving a lot of such fragments in nut-rich areas, macaques add confusion to anthropologists. Previously, several flakes found there were considered ancient.
Finally, the future of monkeys is now being discussed more actively. It has recently been confirmed that the creation of stone tools generates feedback loops, altering the creature’s brain. Perhaps it was precisely similar actions with stones that once contributed to the increase in the brain of our ancestors and, ultimately, the emergence of Homo sapiens.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
