Humans are proposed to possess a unique form of intelligence termed “technical intelligence” which has favored the emergence of specialized skills in thinking, modifying, and combining material objects, as well as using them to modify the outside world to serve their interest 1, 2. Furthermore, our observations support the idea of teaching in both species being more frequent for difficult skills. This comparison of the acquisition of a natural technique clarifies how the two species differed in their technical intelligence. While in humans, teaching occurred both vertically and obliquely, only the former existed in chimpanzees. Expert-apprentice interactions showed many similar instances of teaching in both species, with more variability in humans due, in part to their more complex technique. Adult efficiencies in both species did not differ significantly. Chimpanzees more rapidly acquired the technique when an apprentice, and reached adult efficiency earlier than humans. Both species initially acquire the technique slowly with similar kinds of mistakes, with years of practice required for the apprentice to become expert.
We compared the acquisition of the Panda nut-cracking technique between Mbendjele foragers from the Republic of Congo and the Taï chimpanzees from Côte d’Ivoire. We present a first comparison of humans and chimpanzees spontaneously acquiring the same technique as they forage in their natural environment. However, most of our knowledge about animals comes from observations in artificial conditions with individuals removed from their natural environment.
Humans are considered superior to other species in their tool using skills.
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