Page 28 - aruba-today-20190309

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 9 March 2019
Chimps varied ‘culture’ matters for conservation, study says

By CHRISTINA LARSON sects for food.
AP Science Writer Sixty years ago, scientists
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some had limited knowledge
chimpanzee groups are of chimpanzees in the
stone-throwers. Some use wild, until researcher Jane
rocks to crack open tree Goodall first recorded be-
nuts to eat. Others use sticks haviors like tool usage,
to fish for algae. which previously were as-
As researchers learn more sociated only with humans.
about Homo sapiens’ clos- In 1999, Goodall and other
est living genetic relatives, scientists popularized the
they are also discovering phrase “chimpanzee cul-
more about the diversity tures” in an article in the
of behaviors within chim- journal Science. The use of
panzee groups — activi- the term has ignited de-
ties learned, at least in part bate ever since — includ-
socially, and passed from ing resistance from some
generation to generation. anthropologists— but also
These patterns are referred launched further research.
to as “traditions” — or even Most likely genetics and so-
animal “culture.” In a new cially learned behavior in-
study , scientists argue that teract to form animal “cul-
this diversity of behaviors In this undated photo provided by Liran Samuni, chimpanzees in the Taï National Park in the Ivory ture” in chimpanzees and
should be protected as Coast vocalize with another group nearby. other species, said Carl
species themselves are Associated Press Safina, an ecologist and
safeguarded, and that day in the journal Science. of exhibiting all behaviors. start a game, or something author of several books on
they are now under threat The 10-year study, led by Multiple factors drive the else, the biologists surmised. animal behavior who was
from human disturbance. researchers at the Max loss, the authors say. But not all chimpanzees are not involved in the study.
“What we mean by ‘cul- Planck Institute and the “With the increase of hu- stone-throwers. This has implications for
ture’ is something you learn German Center for Integra- man disturbance, chimps Some groups use stones conservation.
socially from your group tive Biodiversity Research, may not be able to live in to crack open tree nuts. “We have come to under-
members that you may not examines data on 144 such large groups anymore Researchers recently dis- stand that behavioral di-
learn if you were born into chimpanzee communities — and it has been shown covered an archaeologi- versity matters for protect-
a different chimpanzee in Africa and the occur- that group size is connect- cal site in West Africa that ing species,” said Andrew
group,” said Ammie Kalan, rence of 31 specific behav- ed with social learning,” showed chimpanzees had Whiten, an evolutionary
a primatologist at the Max iors, such as tool usage or said Hjalmar Kühl, also a used stones there for nut- psychologist and zoologist
Planck Institute for Evolu- rock throwing. primatologist at the Max cracking for more than at the University of St. An-
tionary Anthropology in The regions with the least Planck Institute and a co- 4,000 years. drews in Scotland, who was
Leipzig, Germany. human impact showed the author. The rocks had been Elsewhere in West Africa, not involved in the study.
“As chimpanzee popula- greatest variety in chimp thrown against the trees by sticks were the tools of “The greater the diversity of
tions decline and their hab- behaviors. But areas great- chimpanzees for reasons choice, with young chimps behavior, the more likely a
itats become fragmented, ly altered by logging, road- still unclear to the scientists in Guinea learning from species will be able to deal
we can see a stark decline building, climate change who first documented the their elders to use them with future changes and
in chimpanzee behavioral and other human activities behavior in 2016. Perhaps to “fish” in lakes for long challenges in their environ-
diversity,” said Kalan, co- showed markedly less be- the purpose was to mark strands of algae to eat. Or, ment,” he said. “It’s not
author of the sweeping havioral diversity — an 88 territory, or proclaim domi- in Nigeria, to poke termite good news when their op-
new study published Thurs- percent lower probability nance within a group, or mounds to gather the in- tions are limited.” q

Facebook steps up fight against vaccine misinformation

NEW YORK (AP) — Social to stem the tide of misin- ters for Disease Control and kicked off by a now dis- — uninsured kids are much
media giant Facebook formation on social media Prevention, which have proven study from 1998 more likely to be unvacci-
says it will remove groups sites. publicly identified verifiable — didn’t start on social net- nated than children who
and pages that spread Facebook said Thursday it vaccine hoaxes. works but has spread there. have health insurance.
misinformation about vac- will take its cue from global If groups and pages spread While overall vaccination Vaccination against a list
cinations on its site. health organizations, such those hoaxes, they won’t rates remain high in the of diseases is required to at-
It’s the latest step Face- as the World Health Orga- appear in recommen- U.S. according to the Cen- tend school in the U.S., but
book and others are taking nization and the U.S. Cen- dations or in predictions ters for Disease Control, the 17 states allow some type
functions when searched number of kids under two of non-medical exemp-
for in Facebook. Ads with who haven’t received any tion for “personal, moral or
similar information will be vaccines is growing. The other beliefs,” according to
rejected. Federal health CDC attributes much of this the National Conference
officials have attributed a to lack of health insurance of State Legislatures.q
recent spike in the number
of measles cases in part
to misinformation that has
made some parents shun
the vaccine.
The bogus notion that
vaccines cause autism —