Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA06652 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 18 Aug 2000 18:52:13 +0100 Subject: Fwd: Chimps Learn to Make Tastier Food Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 13:49:16 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "Memetics Discussion List" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20000818174919.AAA25610@camailp.harvard.edu@[205.240.180.122]> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
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Date: 08/18/00 02:50
Received: 08/18/00 13:36
MADRID (Reuters) - A toothless chimpanzee at the Madrid zoo has given her
companions a taste for turning fruit and vegetables into purees in what
could be a scientific first.
New Scientist magazine said the chimps appeared to be the first animals to
mash food simply because they prefer the taste and texture.
Chimps use various techniques to obtain food, like fishing termites out of
mounds with sticks, but they have not been known to change the quality of
their food, this week's edition of the magazine said.
The female chimp, Linda, had her teeth removed by a beach resort
photographer to stop her biting tourists. She started the mashing habit
after moving to Madrid zoo in 1992.
Now most of her group routinely rub their apples, carrots, lemons and
oranges on a sharp corner in their enclosure for about 10 seconds and then
lick up the puree.
Samuel Fernandez-Carriba, one of three scientists who have studied their
behavior, told New Scientist there was no evidence food transformation
existed in the wild as animals appeared to have no time to waste.
"But if you have the time, you might cook all day and make something
nice,"
Fernandez-Carriba said. "Maybe this is one more piece of evidence that we
are not as unique as we previously thought."
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