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Chimp ritualized behavior?

Introversion

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Ritualized behavior? Chimps all throw rocks at the same tree

Ars Technica said:
Camera trap footage, taken with no humans present to cause a disturbance, shows one chimp after another pick up a rock and hurl it at the same tree. Rocks pile up at the foot of the tree, which starts to show signs of wear and tear. For some reason, the chimps have picked this particular tree for an accumulation of hurled rocks.

“It was unlike anything I had ever observed among wild chimpanzees,” said primatologist Ammie Kalan. Her team has discovered the behavior in four distinct populations, and it’s possible that more will turn up as they continue searching. What the rock piles mean is an open question, but the discovery of such a distinct and puzzling stone tool use is unquestionably exciting.

We’ve known for a while now that chimps use stone tools for more easily discernible purposes, like extracting food. They’ve also been observed throwing objects, like rocks and branches, haphazardly. What’s different about this behavior is the consistent location and the repetitive actions seen in multiple individuals, which is what has led the researchers to label it as tool use. “It’s definitely the first indication of something else going on other than stone tool use for food extraction or for throwing rocks… haphazardly,” Kalan told Ars.

...

I imagine a group of chimps deciding to punk the human scientists. "I know, let's all throw a rock at the same tree! It'll keep them too busy to cause any harm."
 

cornflake

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Maybe the tree pissed them off.
 

frimble3

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'Target practice' was my thought as well. They are evolving. This is how we did it, why not them? Please, let's not let anybody make fire by hand in front of them.
 

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Maybe it's the designated "politician tree"?
 

cornflake

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Does it have a fluffy combover? We may have solved this thing! Someone get a look at the top of that tree!
 

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Donald Stump will make Chimpmerica great again.