Engineering skills in the manufacture of tools by wild chimpanzees

Physical evidence of early hominin perishable tools is scarce. However, it is reasonable to assume the mechanical constraints surrounding tool use and manufacture have remained somewhat constant. Using a functional framework to understand the technical capabilities of extant hominoid tool users presents a novel approach to predict the perishable tool-using capabilities of our earliest relatives. We investigated the structural and mechanical properties of plant materials used by wild chimpanzees to make termite fishing probes. Materials sourced from plant species extensively used by chimpanzees produced implements of greater flexibility than those constructed from plants never selected by chimpanzees. This pattern was also reflected in chimpanzee tool species preferences, with preferred plant species producing highly flexible implements. Implement flexibility aligns with functional predictions and likely facilitates termite attachment. Our findings provide insights into the technical skills associated with perishable artefact-making and raise questions about how this knowledge is learnt and culturally transmitted.