Stone, Stick, and Synapse: What Primate Tool Use Tells Us About the Roots of Human Thought
From chimpanzees cracking nuts with stone hammers to capuchins probing crevices with carefully selected twigs, primates across the world are demonstrating cognitive sophistication that challenges long-held assumptions about human uniqueness. Decades of field research now point to tool use as one of the most revealing windows into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence. Understanding how our closest relatives solve problems may ultimately help us understand how we became who we are.