A capuchin monkey puts a palm nut on a log. T e nut is about the size of its fist. T e monkey reaches for a large rock. T e monkey brings the rock down on top of the nut. Whack. T e nut bounces off the log and rolls away. T e monkey tries again. It puts the
nut back on the log and liſt s the rock. Whack. Whack. Whack. Whack. Over and over again, the monkey hits the nut. At last, the nut cracks open. T e monkey grabs it and scampers up the nearest tree to eat it. T e monkey turned a simple rock into a tool.
A Moment of Discovery A tool is an object that can be used to accomplish a task. In the past, most scientists thought that only humans made and used tools. T en National Geographic explorer Jane Goodall changed peoples’ thinking. In 1960, Goodall was studying
wild chimpanzees in Africa. One day, she saw a chimp poking pieces of grass into a termite mound. T en the chimp put the grass in its mouth. She poked a piece of grass into a termite mound, too. T e termites bit into the grass as she pulled it from the mound. T e chimp had been using the grass as a tool to “fish” for termites!
4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
A Matter of Survival Scientists now know that making and using tools is an adaptation. T ese are traits, or features, of an animal that help it to survive in its environment. Some tool use is learned, but some of it is inherited. T at means an animal is born knowing what to do. For example, many
birds are born knowing how to make and use tools. T e Galapagos woodpecker finch is a good example. It eats small insects that dig into wood. Yet its beak can’t always squeeze into the small spaces where these small insects live. So the finch turns a cactus spine into a spear. Now it can reach its prey by using a tool. T e Egyptian vulture
uses tools, too. One of this bird’s favorite foods is ostrich eggs. T e giant eggshell is difficult to break. So the vulture picks up a rock and throws it at the egg to break it.
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