The chimpanzees of Bossou in Guinea, West Africa, form a unique
community which displays an exceptional array of tool use behaviors and
behavioral adaptations to coexistence with humans. This community of
Pan troglodytes verus has contributed more than three decades of data
to the field of cultural primatology, especially chimpanzees' flexible
use of stones to crack open nuts and of perishable tools during foraging
activities. The book highlights the special contribution of the
long-term research at Bossou and more recent studies in surrounding
areas, particularly in the Nimba Mountains and the forest of Diécké, to
our understanding of wild chimpanzees' tool use, cognitive development,
lithic technology and culture. This compilation of research principally
strives to uncover the complexity of the mind and behavioral flexibility
of our closest living relatives. This work also reveals the necessity
for ongoing efforts to conserve chimpanzees in the region. Chimpanzees
have shed more light on our evolutionary origins than any other extant
species in the world, yet their numbers in the wild are rapidly
declining. In that sense, the Bossou chimpanzees and their neighbors
clearly embody an invaluable cultural heritage for humanity as a whole.
Readers can enjoy video clips illustrating unique behaviors of Bossou
chimpanzees, in an exclusive DVD accompanying the hardcover or at a
dedicated website described in the softcover.
