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Recent discoveries have shown that hundreds of animal species use tools. New Caledonia crows, for instance, use twigs to remove insect larvae from their galleries; sea otters use flat stones to break open urchin shells or earshells; tailor ants weave leaves together with the threads secreted by the specie's larvae. Until recently, it was believed that the human tool was different from the animal tool which is neither transmitted nor accumulated. Several long-term studies on animal populations have proven quite the contrary. The animal tool can be cultural, some chimpanzee populations for instance have their own technical traditions: they crack nuts with stones. Supported by these observations, this comprehensive documentary will be structured around three central questions: how does the tool-using animal transform the world? And by extension the others? And how does the tool transform the animal's behaviour?

How strong is the similarity between animals and humans? At first glance, we do not have so much in common. But forget the pressures of religion, culture and society. Make abstraction of what we have always believed and see the truth in the eye. Man is by no means an outsider in the evolution of the species. Five years filming brought the truth to light: the animals did it first! This series examines the similarities between humans and animals in the area of ​​Emotions, Language, Medicine, Homosexuality, Adoption, Tools, Trade, Play Mode, Culture and Politics.

Primary Title
  • Animals Like Us
Episode Title
  • Animal Tools
Date Broadcast
  • Friday 21 July 2006
Start Time
  • 19 : 30
Finish Time
  • 20 : 30
Duration
  • 60:00
Episode
  • 6
Channel
  • National Geographic Channel
Broadcaster
  • Sky Network Television
Programme Description
  • How strong is the similarity between animals and humans? At first glance, we do not have so much in common. But forget the pressures of religion, culture and society. Make abstraction of what we have always believed and see the truth in the eye. Man is by no means an outsider in the evolution of the species. Five years filming brought the truth to light: the animals did it first! This series examines the similarities between humans and animals in the area of ​​Emotions, Language, Medicine, Homosexuality, Adoption, Tools, Trade, Play Mode, Culture and Politics.
Episode Description
  • Recent discoveries have shown that hundreds of animal species use tools. New Caledonia crows, for instance, use twigs to remove insect larvae from their galleries; sea otters use flat stones to break open urchin shells or earshells; tailor ants weave leaves together with the threads secreted by the specie's larvae. Until recently, it was believed that the human tool was different from the animal tool which is neither transmitted nor accumulated. Several long-term studies on animal populations have proven quite the contrary. The animal tool can be cultural, some chimpanzee populations for instance have their own technical traditions: they crack nuts with stones. Supported by these observations, this comprehensive documentary will be structured around three central questions: how does the tool-using animal transform the world? And by extension the others? And how does the tool transform the animal's behaviour?
Classification
  • PGR
Owning Collection
  • Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
  • Television
Languages
  • English
Captions
Live Broadcast
  • No
Rights Statement
  • Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Genres
  • Animals
  • Documentary