Functionality in Tool Use in Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Animal Behavior and Cognition

关键词: Gorilla;    Tool-use;    Tool functionality;    Object manipulation;   

DOI  :  10.12966/abc.02.08.2015

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Nonhuman primates are known to use objects as tools. Amongst the great apes, gorillas seem to be the least proficient tool users. Previous research has shown that the western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at the Buffalo Zoo use buckets, given for enrichment, to collect water (Margulis, Steele, & Kleinfelder, 2012). To further explore the cognitive ability of these gorillas, a study was designed that tested whether the gorillas could distinguish between a functional and a non-functional manipulable object. The gorillas were given four buckets, two of which had holes drilled in the bottom (the “non-functional” bucket). Seventy-eight hours of videotaped data were collected to test the hypothesis that the gorillas could distinguish between the functional and the non-functional buckets for transport of liquids. Overall, gorillas interacted with functional buckets significantly more than with non-functional buckets. This pattern was driven largely by the behavior of the oldest adult female. The findings suggest that gorillas have the ability to recognize tool functionality.

【 授权许可】

Unknown