Can chimpanzees teach themselves to use tools?
Primatologist Tobias Deschner is exploring whether wild chimpanzees can invent nut-cracking behavior on their own or if it must be learned from others.
Searching for the earliest tools
Stone tools were crucial for our ancestors' evolution and survival. When did tool innovation begin? And who were the first toolmakers?
Your cells look young for their age, compared to a chimp’s
While advances in medicine and nutrition in the last 200 years have added years to human lifespans, a new Leakey Foundation-supported study suggests there could be a more ancient explanation for why humans live longer than our closest relatives do.
Grantee Spotlight: Stephanie Fox
Leakey Foundation grantee Stephanie Fox grew up surrounded by examples of strong female friendships. A few years ago, she learned that those kinds of friendships aren't as common as she thought. Now her Leakey Foundation-supported research investigates the biological roots of female friendship.
Chimpanzees more likely to share tools, teach skills when task is complex
Teach a chimpanzee to fish for insects to eat, and you feed her for a lifetime. Teach her a better way to use tools in gathering prey, and you may change the course of evolution.