Scientists once thought that only humans and our closest relatives, chimps, were smart enough to use tools. But as our documenting of the natural world has gotten more detailed—and as we’ve become, perhaps, less haughty about our supposed superior intellect—we’ve found that many species are actually deft with sticks, stones, and other implements. Here are a few of the lesser-known tool users that have been studied in recent years.
This story was originally published on February 25, 2022.
Scientists once thought that only humans and our closest relatives, chimps, were smart enough to use tools. But as our documenting of the natural world has gotten more detailed—and as we’ve become, perhaps, less haughty about our supposed superior intellect—we’ve found that many species are actually deft with sticks, stones, and other implements. Here are a few of the lesser-known tool users that have been studied in recent years.
This story was originally published on February 25, 2022.