British researchers have the first solid evidence of monkeys using tools, Science magazine says.
Cambridge researchers observed wild capuchin monkeys in the Brazilian forest using stones to help them forage for food on an almost daily basis, first proof that such activity was a matter of routine, the BBC said Friday.
The monkeys used tools for cracking seeds and hollow branches, for digging up nutritious plants often found below the ground and for probing tree holes or rock crevices.
Writing in Science, Antonio Moura and Phyllis Lee said the results suggest wild capuchin monkeys are far more skilled at understanding cause and effect than previously thought.
Yet to be determined is whether the monkeys only use tools under certain ecological conditions, such as the long dry seasons of the Caatinga.
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