Scientists studying chimpanzees in Boé National Park, Guinea-Bissau have documented a distinctive behavioral pattern in which the animals throw rocks at particular trees on multiple occasions spanning more than a decade. The targeted trees bear visible scarring and are surrounded by accumulations of rocks at their base. Adult male chimpanzees engage in this behavior while producing pant hoots, loud vocalizations used for long-distance communication, and performing buttress drumming, a behavior involving repeated striking of hands and feet against the tree trunk.
Researchers conducted fieldwork at the remote site to gather data on the social and ecological context of this accumulative stone throwing behavior. The team employed camera traps and audio recording devices rather than direct observation, as the chimpanzee population at the location has not been habituated to human presence. The collection of video and audio materials will enable analysis of multiple aspects including the age and sex of stone throwers, the presence of observers in the vicinity, and behavioral patterns over time.
The accumulative stone throwing appears to be culturally learned rather than instinctive, given its limited geographic distribution and the fact that the mere availability of rocks and suitable trees does not produce the behavior. Researchers propose that the behavior likely serves communicative or symbolic functions, with sites potentially marking significant territorial locations. The behavior has been observed in only four chimpanzee groups across West Africa to date, distinguishing it as a remarkable example of tool use in a social rather than subsistence context.
The research team found that sites previously identified and visited in 2017 remained in active use during the recent expedition, demonstrating the persistence of these behavioral sites across multiple years. Beyond its communicative significance, the researchers emphasize the behavior’s value as durable material culture representing primate heritage. However, chimpanzee habitats in the region face mounting pressures from extractive industries, particularly bauxite mining exploration, which threatens both the animals and the preservation of these culturally significant behaviors.
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