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n2doc

(47,953 posts)
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 11:10 AM Jan 2012

Ape cooks with fire

By DAVID DERBYSHIRE
Last updated at 10:44 AM on 30th December 2011

Eagerly he collects wood from the ground, snaps the branches into small pieces and carefully balances them in a pile. Then, taking care not to burn himself, he gently strikes a match and gets ready for a fry-up.
Like all red-blooded males, Kanzi loves messing around with a barbecue. But then, as these extraordinary pictures show, Kanzi is no man. He is a bonobo - pygmy chimpanzee - and his love of fire is challenging the way that we think about our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
For although bonobo apes and larger chimpanzees use twigs and leaves as tools, none has ever shown such skill for cooking food.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080050/Now-thats-chim-PAN-zee-Meet-monkey-fry-burgers.html

43 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Ape cooks with fire (Original Post) n2doc Jan 2012 OP
So much we don't know about our closest "relatives" nor most animals, for that matter... hlthe2b Jan 2012 #1
Proof that a chimp is smarter than a Republican presidential candidate. hobbit709 Jan 2012 #2
This message was self-deleted by its author HereSince1628 Jan 2012 #3
Yeah that was my though too. Plus the stainless steel spatula. TheManInTheMac Jan 2012 #22
Yes, but can he make a decent cheeseburger? LiberalEsto Jan 2012 #4
Once they taste decadent human cuisine, they are ruined. One of the orangutangs, use to be owned by WingDinger Jan 2012 #6
Interesting observation. Apes dont throw feces at each other, just humans. WingDinger Jan 2012 #41
I can tell you lasers intrigue them. WingDinger Jan 2012 #5
that is what i am learning with research.... nt seabeyond Jan 2012 #28
It is also telling that these differences exist between species we were unable to distinguish. WingDinger Jan 2012 #31
i just glanced at it, but seabeyond Jan 2012 #33
It has to do with habitat differences, I've read. Odin2005 Jan 2012 #36
Thats part. after a while, those traits are inborn. WingDinger Jan 2012 #37
Throw away the toxic non-stick pan. tabatha Jan 2012 #7
He reminds me of a cowboy, eating off his knife. WingDinger Jan 2012 #8
Yes! nt Bonobo Jan 2012 #9
Heh. lumberjack_jeff Jan 2012 #10
I was expecting something more like this MNBrewer Jan 2012 #11
There is a video of the Bonobo cooking at the link. PotatoChip Jan 2012 #12
We also know chimps are better at basic arithmetic than we are Warpy Jan 2012 #13
Voice is but one method to communicate n2doc Jan 2012 #14
Gorillas: Koko. Remember she had the kitten she named Ball. When Ball died in an accident, Koko 1monster Jan 2012 #24
Kanzi communicates with a paper keyboard csziggy Jan 2012 #39
Once again... "challenging the way that we think about our closest relatives." hunter Jan 2012 #15
Monkey see, monkey do (nt) The Straight Story Jan 2012 #16
Chimps are apes, not monkeys. Do you want the Librarian to come down on your ass? hobbit709 Jan 2012 #17
lol - old saying, and I stick by it The Straight Story Jan 2012 #18
It is only a matter of time before Kanzi ... surrealAmerican Jan 2012 #19
the Olive Garden should hire him Enrique Jan 2012 #20
You would hear 'Waiter...there's a million hairs in my soup" complaints. n/t deacon Jan 2012 #30
I noticed in the video at the bottom that Kanzi barbeques like most men do... 1monster Jan 2012 #21
Interesting, must have been a lot of trial & error along with burnt digits... Historic NY Jan 2012 #23
They should also be janitors Blue Owl Jan 2012 #25
"....I'll cook up some steaks. Then we can fuck." Schema Thing Jan 2012 #26
Funny....I always thought it was going to be the zombies that took over the world. MilesColtrane Jan 2012 #27
I hear he does an amazing Coq au Vin. Superb actually. n/t deacon Jan 2012 #29
Neat Solly Mack Jan 2012 #32
I'm builing a trailer in my back yard... mike_c Jan 2012 #34
Kanzi still manages to impress! Odin2005 Jan 2012 #35
Wow! Roasting marshmallows, too. Nt DevonRex Jan 2012 #38
Just don't introduce him to beer! rusty fender Jan 2012 #40
The troop and me, in San Diego. WingDinger Jan 2012 #42
Lana is the queen. WingDinger Jan 2012 #43

hlthe2b

(101,730 posts)
1. So much we don't know about our closest "relatives" nor most animals, for that matter...
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 11:18 AM
Jan 2012

So much intelligence we fail to recognize. Enjoy your meal, Kanzi!

Response to n2doc (Original post)

TheManInTheMac

(985 posts)
22. Yeah that was my though too. Plus the stainless steel spatula.
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 01:11 PM
Jan 2012

If he's got a dishwasher somewhere off camera I'll be REALLY impressed.

 

WingDinger

(3,690 posts)
6. Once they taste decadent human cuisine, they are ruined. One of the orangutangs, use to be owned by
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 11:31 AM
Jan 2012

a rock and roll manager. She smoked stogies and threw back shots of whisky. I can only imagine she sits there wishing for a drink and a smoke.

 

WingDinger

(3,690 posts)
5. I can tell you lasers intrigue them.
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 11:28 AM
Jan 2012

I would point my laser at the young ones hand. She would lick her hand. Eventually, they knew the dot was made by the thing I was holding. Abstract.

Had we studied Bonobos as early as we studied Chimps, assumptions about mans violent tendencies, and male dominance, would be far different, as would we be. Boys will be boys, creates nasty boys.

 

WingDinger

(3,690 posts)
31. It is also telling that these differences exist between species we were unable to distinguish.
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 02:37 PM
Jan 2012

I look at DEMS, and Rethugs, as Bonobo, and Chimp. We seem to operate from one of the two streams.

The most important lesson I learned from De Waal, in Chimp politics, is that at some threshold, the moms and children banded together, and ousted the strongman, and his henchmen. Bloodlessly.

There is a gentle counterbalance to survival of the fittest{most violent dispositions}.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
33. i just glanced at it, but
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 02:42 PM
Jan 2012

Recently I saw where there is a different one they are considering being a part of human make up. The more they find added into the mix changes and shifts the conclusions already drawn, from guesses and presented as facts.

But I do find it interesting

Odin2005

(53,521 posts)
36. It has to do with habitat differences, I've read.
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 03:55 PM
Jan 2012

Bonobos live in denser forest and have easier acess to higher quality food.

 

WingDinger

(3,690 posts)
37. Thats part. after a while, those traits are inborn.
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 04:09 PM
Jan 2012

Ample food, and safety, makes Bonobo's NICER. Just as better food and shelter security, will make humans NICER. Same with female dominance. As we depend more on external protections, instead of brute strength, we will become a more passive species.

All of these things, are fought by Rethugs. Why? They want a world that rewards aggression, as they have that in abundance. Just as those agressives try to make the playground hostile too. Since the dawn of man, stealing resources, under the guise of more high minded motivations{religion}. is rampant.

PotatoChip

(3,186 posts)
12. There is a video of the Bonobo cooking at the link.
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 11:57 AM
Jan 2012

Just scroll all the way down.

Really cool! Thanks n2doc!

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
13. We also know chimps are better at basic arithmetic than we are
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 12:03 PM
Jan 2012

I'm really glad we're discovering the potential in our closest relatives. The different placement of the hyoid bone means we won't be able to teach them our language but someday we might start to learn theirs.

Only when we can communicate with other sentient species with whom we share a planetary point of reference can we even start to think about communicating with species that don't.

(Yeah, I'm a nerd)

n2doc

(47,953 posts)
14. Voice is but one method to communicate
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 12:11 PM
Jan 2012

I believe people have had some success in teaching sign language and other pictorial languages to chimps. It may be, however, that Chimps think differently enough that languages created by Humans don't work well with them.

1monster

(11,012 posts)
24. Gorillas: Koko. Remember she had the kitten she named Ball. When Ball died in an accident, Koko
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 01:13 PM
Jan 2012

grieved, using sign language to express her grief. When given another kitten, she named it Ball II (using sign language).

For the basics, sign language worked well enough. But given the complexities of human life vs the simplicity of ape life, human language would not work beyond the basics. But, I'd bet, if people keep teaching apes the ins and outs of human life, the apes will become more complicated and the language problems will work out.

I'm not sure how I feel about this though. Does Star Treks's Prime Directive have any meaning here?

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
39. Kanzi communicates with a paper keyboard
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 05:08 PM
Jan 2012

For the article at the OP link:

"Kanzi, who weighs 12st, is the brightest of the apes at the Great Ape Trust. With two other apes at the centre, he uses paper keyboards to communicate with Dr Savage-Rumbaugh and fellow primatologist Liz Pugh.

"In conversation with the researchers he points to symbols, known as lexigrams, on the keyboards representing different words.

"He has learnt to ‘say’ around 500 words through the keyboard, and understands 3,000 spoken words."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080050/Now-thats-chim-PAN-zee-Meet-monkey-fry-burgers.html#ixzz1iKyGA1Ej

surrealAmerican

(11,340 posts)
19. It is only a matter of time before Kanzi ...
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 12:56 PM
Jan 2012

... get his own show on The Food Network. I can picture it now: "Cooking for Bonobos"

1monster

(11,012 posts)
21. I noticed in the video at the bottom that Kanzi barbeques like most men do...
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 01:07 PM
Jan 2012

He gets all the fun parts, like lighting the fire, toasting the marshmallow, and puttingout the fire, while the nearby woman does all the work, stirring, turning the food, determinining when it is done, and dishing up...

Bonabos are more like humans than this article reveals.

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)
23. Interesting, must have been a lot of trial & error along with burnt digits...
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 01:12 PM
Jan 2012

Is the connection to learning cooked food tastes better than cold food?

mike_c

(36,214 posts)
34. I'm builing a trailer in my back yard...
Mon Jan 2, 2012, 03:13 PM
Jan 2012

...something I've never done before, using skills I've not acquired before. My behavior is essentially imitative, doing what I have seen others do. The sources of my information are a bit different, online materials, books, etc, but otherwise it's hard to see how my actions differ from those of this chimp. Now if he teaches other chimps how to make fire and cook food, that would REALLY be cool!

 

WingDinger

(3,690 posts)
42. The troop and me, in San Diego.
Tue Jan 3, 2012, 12:02 AM
Jan 2012






I was one of the troop, when I lived in San Diego. I would often have the whole troop around me, for hours.

Lana presented her baby girl to me, three days after her birth. She held her aloft at the window, by her stretched wrists.

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