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95-410: A container can also be considered as a basic tool , consisting of any device creating a partially or fully enclosed space that can be used to contain, store, and transport objects or materials. Humans have used containers for at least 100,000 years, and possibly for millions of years. The first containers were probably invented for storing food , allowing early humans to preserve more of their food for

190-513: A "Birth Choice tool": The tool encourages women to consider out-of-hospital settings where appropriate, and the idea of a "toolkit" is used by the International Labour Organization to describe a set of processes applicable to improving global labour relations . A telephone is a communication tool that interfaces between two people engaged in conversation at one level. It also interfaces between each user and

285-582: A "proto-tool". When an animal uses a tool that acts on another tool, this has been termed use of a "meta-tool". For example, New Caledonian crows will spontaneously use a short tool to obtain an otherwise inaccessible longer tool that then allows them to extract food from a hole. Similarly, bearded capuchin monkeys will use smaller stones to loosen bigger quartz pebbles embedded in conglomerate rock, which they subsequently use as tools. Rarely, animals may use one tool followed by another, for example, bearded capuchins use stones and sticks, or two stones. This

380-497: A 2010 study suggests the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis ate meat by carving animal carcasses with stone implements. This finding pushes back the earliest known use of stone tools among hominins to about 3.4 million years ago. Finds of actual tools date back at least 2.6 million years in Ethiopia . One of the earliest distinguishable stone tool forms is the hand axe . Up until recently, weapons found in digs were

475-605: A capuchin up to 8 years to master this skill. The monkeys often transport hard fruits, stones, nuts and even oysters to an anvil for this purpose. Capuchins also use stones as digging tools for probing the substrate and sometimes for excavating tubers. Wild black-striped capuchin use sticks to flush prey from inside rock crevices. Robust capuchins are also known to sometimes rub defensive secretions from arthropods over their bodies before eating them; such secretions are believed to act as natural insecticides . Baboons have also exhibited extensive tool use, seen within research on

570-647: A change in the environment, thereby facilitating one's achievement of a target goal. Anthropologists believe that the use of tools was an important step in the evolution of mankind . Because tools are used extensively by both humans (Homo sapiens) and wild chimpanzees , it is widely assumed that the first routine use of tools took place prior to the divergence between the two ape species. These early tools, however, were likely made of perishable materials such as sticks, or consisted of unmodified stones that cannot be distinguished from other stones as tools. Stone artifacts date back to about 2.5 million years ago. However,

665-469: A cheap tool could be used to occupy the place of a missing mechanical part. A window roller in a car could be replaced with pliers . A transmission shifter or ignition switch would be able to be replaced with a screwdriver. Again, these would be considered tools that are being used for their unintended purposes, substitution as makeshift. Tools such as a rotary tool would be considered the substitution "by-design", or "multi-purpose". This class of tools allows

760-436: A container go beyond just providing shock and moisture protection for the contents. A well-designed container will also exhibit ease of use, that is, it is easy for the worker to open or close, to insert or extract the contents, and to handle the container in shipment. In addition, a good container will have convenient and legible labeling locations, a shape that is conducive to efficient stacking and storing, and easy recycling at

855-615: A diverse array of objects and materials, many of which are specifically chosen by certain birds for their unique qualities. Woodpecker finches insert twigs into trees in order to catch or impale larvae. Parrots may use tools to wedge nuts so that they can crack open the outer shell of nuts without launching away the inner contents. Some birds take advantage of human activity, such as carrion crows in Japan, which drop nuts in front of cars to crack them open. Several species of fish use tools to hunt and crack open shellfish, extract food that

950-560: A diverse array of objects and materials, many of which are specifically chosen by certain birds for their unique qualities. Woodpecker finches insert twigs into trees in order to catch or impale larvae. Parrots may use tools to wedge nuts so that they can crack open the outer shell of nuts without launching away the inner contents. Some birds take advantage of human activity, such as carrion crows in Japan, which drop nuts in front of cars to crack them open. Several species of fish use tools to hunt and crack open shellfish, extract food that

1045-459: A few occasions. On the island of Kaja in Borneo, a male orangutan was observed using a pole apparently trying to spear or bludgeon fish. This individual had seen humans fishing with spears. Although not successful, he was later able to improvise by using the pole to catch fish already trapped in the locals' fishing lines. Sumatran orangutans use sticks to acquire seeds from a particular fruit. When

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1140-512: A large male mandrill at Chester Zoo (UK) stripping down a twig, apparently to make it narrower, and then using the modified stick to scrape dirt from underneath his toenails. Captive gorillas have made a variety of tools. Chimpanzees are sophisticated tool users with behaviours including cracking nuts with stone tools and fishing for ants or termites with sticks. These chimpanzees not only use these sticks to fish out their meal, but they in fact build their own 'tool kits' to do so, as observed in

1235-468: A leafy twig into a tool was a major discovery: previously, scientists thought that only humans made and used tools, and that this was what separated humans from other animals. Other studies of the Gombe chimps show that young females and males learn to fish for termites differently. Female chimps learn to fish for termites earlier and better than the young males. Females also spend more time fishing while at

1330-532: A localized or isolated manner within certain unique primate cultures , being transmitted and practiced among socially connected primates through cultural learning . Many famous researchers, such as Charles Darwin in his book The Descent of Man , mentioned tool-use in monkeys (such as baboons ). Among other mammals , both wild and captive elephants are known to create tools using their trunks and feet, mainly for swatting flies, scratching, plugging up waterholes that they have dug (to close them up again so

1425-418: A longer time, to carry it more easily, and also to protect it from other animals. The development of food storage containers was "of immense importance to the evolving human populations", and "was a totally innovative behavior" not seen in other primates. The earliest containers were probably objects found in nature such as hollow gourds , of which primitive examples have been found in cultures such as those of

1520-703: A major expansion in their use in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome with the systematic employment of new energy sources, especially waterwheels . Their use expanded through the Dark Ages with the addition of windmills . Machine tools occasioned a surge in producing new tools in the Industrial Revolution . Pre-industrial machinery was built by various craftsmen— millwrights built water and windmills, carpenters made wooden framing, and smiths and turners made metal parts. Wooden components had

1615-539: A process for making tin cans . The canning concept was based on experimental food preservation work in glass containers the year before by the French inventor Nicholas Appert . Durand did not pursue food canning, but, in 1812, sold his patent to two Englishmen, Bryan Donkin and John Hall , who refined the process and product, and set up the world's first commercial canning factory on Southwark Park Road, London. By 1813 they were producing their first tin canned goods for

1710-526: A relatively rare combination of using two different tools. Hammers for opening nuts may be either wood or stone. When chimpanzees cannot reach water that has formed in hollows high up inside trees, they have been observed taking a handful of leaves, chewing them, and dipping this "sponge" into the pool to suck out the water. Both bonobos and chimpanzees have also been observed making "sponges" out of leaves and moss that suck up water and are used as grooming tools. Orangutans were first observed using tools in

1805-415: A small stick through the foramen magnum . On another occasion, an adult female used three sticks to clean the orbits of a colobus monkey skull after she had just eaten the eyes. In Gombe National Park in 1960, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee, David Greybeard, poking pieces of grass into a termite mound and then raising the grass to his mouth. After he left, Goodall approached the mound and repeated

1900-524: A species other than humans. Researchers documented 22 occasions when wild chimpanzees on a savanna in Senegal fashioned sticks into "spears" to hunt lesser bushbabies ( Galago senegalensis ). In each case, a chimpanzee modified a branch by breaking off one or two ends and, frequently using its teeth, sharpened the stick. The tools, on average, were about 60 cm (24 in) long and 1.1 cm (0.4 in) in circumference. The chimpanzee then jabbed

1995-553: A stick to push food from the centre of a tube retrieving the food when it reaches the far end, and as a rake to sweep objects or food toward themselves. The black-striped capuchin ( Sapajus libidinosus ) was the first non-ape primate for which tool use was documented in the wild; individuals were observed cracking nuts by placing them on a stone anvil and hitting them with another large stone (hammer). Similar hammer-and-anvil use has been observed in other wild capuchins including robust capuchin monkeys (genus Sapajus ) It may take

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2090-415: A target goal. Others, for example Lawick-Goodall , distinguish between "tool use" and "object use". Different terms have been given to the tool according to whether the tool is altered by the animal. If the "tool" is not held or manipulated by the animal in any way, such as an immobile anvil , objects in a bowerbird 's bower, or a bird using bread as bait to catch fish , it is sometimes referred to as

2185-595: A tool and therefore which behaviours can be considered true examples of tool use. A wide range of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, cephalopods , and insects , are considered to use tools. Primates are well known for using tools for hunting or gathering food and water, cover for rain, and self-defence. Chimpanzees have often been the object of study in regard to their usage of tools, most famously by Jane Goodall , since these animals are frequently kept in captivity and are closely related to humans. Wild tool use in other primates, especially among apes and monkeys ,

2280-486: A tree, apparently to knock down leaves and seeds. Gorillas at Prague Zoo have used tools in several ways, including using wood wool as "slippers" when walking on the snow or to cross a wet section of the floor. Tool use has been observed in at least 32 monkey species including individuals that are captive, free, and semi-free range. These observations entail established, long term use of tools such as baboons using items to hit humans as well as more elusive, rare use like

2375-440: A true example of animal teaching, studies with captive chimpanzees have found that many of these species-typical behaviours (including termite fishing) are individually learnt by each chimpanzee. Tools may even be used in solving puzzles in which the animal appears to experience a "Eureka moment" . Tool use has been reported many times in both wild and captive primates , particularly the great apes . The use of tools by primates

2470-425: A variety of tools—up to 54 types for extracting insects or honey, and as many as 20 types for opening or preparing fruits such as the hard to access Neesia malayana . They also use an 'autoerotic tool'—a stick which they use to stimulate the genitals and masturbate (both male and female). There have been reports that individuals in both captivity and in the wild use tools held between the lips or teeth, rather than in

2565-410: A widely used definition of tool use. This has been modified to: The external employment of an unattached or manipulable attached environmental object to alter more efficiently the form, position, or condition of another object, another organism, or the user itself, when the user holds and directly manipulates the tool during or prior to use and is responsible for the proper and effective orientation of

2660-455: Is "makeshift" when human ingenuity comes into play and a tool is used for an unintended purpose, such as using a long screwdriver to separate a cars control arm from a ball joint, instead of using a tuning fork. In many cases, the designed secondary functions of tools are not widely known. For example, many wood-cutting hand saws integrate a square by incorporating a specially-shaped handle, that allows 90° and 45° angles to be marked by aligning

2755-518: Is a motto of some importance for workers who cannot practically carry every specialized tool to the location of every work task, such as a carpenter who does not necessarily work in a shop all day and needs to do jobs in a customer's house. Tool substitution may be divided broadly into two classes: substitution "by-design", or "multi-purpose", and substitution as makeshift. Substitution "by-design" would be tools that are designed specifically to accomplish multiple tasks using only that one tool. Substitution

2850-400: Is a phenomenon in which a non-human animal uses any kind of tool in order to achieve a goal such as acquiring food and water, grooming , combat, defence, communication , recreation or construction . Originally thought to be a skill possessed only by humans , some tool use requires a sophisticated level of cognition. There is considerable discussion about the definition of what constitutes

2945-494: Is called "associative", "secondary" or "sequential" tool use. Some animals use other individuals in a way which could be interpreted as tool use, for example, ants crossing water over a bridge of other ants, or weaver ants using conspecifics to glue leaves together. These have been termed "social tools". Play has been defined as "activity having no immediate benefits and structurally including repetitive or exaggerated actions that may be out of sequence or disordered". When play

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3040-812: Is considered relatively common, though its full extent remains poorly documented, as many primates in the wild are mainly only observed distantly or briefly when in their natural environments and living without human influence. Some novel tool-use by primates may arise in a localised or isolated manner within certain unique primate cultures , being transmitted and practised among socially connected primates through cultural learning . Many famous researchers, such as Charles Darwin in his 1871 book The Descent of Man , have mentioned tool use in monkeys (such as baboons ). Among other mammals , both wild and captive elephants are known to create tools using their trunks and feet, mainly for swatting flies, scratching, plugging up waterholes that they have dug (to close them up again so

3135-399: Is discussed in relation to manipulating objects, it is often used in association with the word "tool". Some birds, notably crows, parrots and birds of prey, "play" with objects, many of them playing in flight with such items as stones, sticks and leaves, by letting them go and catching them again before they reach the ground. A few species repeatedly drop stones, apparently for the enjoyment of

3230-437: Is eaten by chimpanzees. Groups of chimpanzees fish with sticks for the honey after having tried to remove what they can with their hands. They usually extract with their hands honeycombs from undisturbed hives of honey bees and run away from the bees to quietly eat their catch. In contrast, hives that have already been disturbed, either through the falling of the tree or because of the intervention of other predators, are cleaned of

3325-450: Is for example a combination of a measuring tool (the clock) and a perception tool (the alarm). This enables the alarm-clock to be a tool that falls outside of all the categories mentioned above. There is some debate on whether to consider protective gear items as tools, because they do not directly help perform work, just protect the worker like ordinary clothing. They do meet the general definition of tools and in many cases are necessary for

3420-490: Is made with stone arches and lined with waterproof concrete. The earliest evidence of water wheels and watermills date back to the ancient Near East in the 4th century BC, specifically in the Persian Empire before 350 BC, in the regions of Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Persia (Iran). This pioneering use of water power constituted perhaps the first use of mechanical energy . Mechanical devices experienced

3515-545: Is out of reach, or clear an area for nesting. Among cephalopods (and perhaps uniquely or to an extent unobserved among invertebrates ), octopuses are known to use tools relatively frequently, such as gathering coconut shells to create a shelter or using rocks to create barriers. By extension, concepts which support systematic or investigative thought are often referred to as "tools", for example Vanessa Dye refers to "tools of reflection" and "tools to help sharpen your professional practice" for trainee teachers, illustrating

3610-456: Is out of reach, or clear an area for nesting. Among cephalopods (and perhaps uniquely or to an extent unobserved among invertebrates ), octopuses are known to utilise tools relatively frequently, such as gathering coconut shells to create a shelter or using rocks to create barriers. The key to identifying tool use is defining what constitutes a tool. Researchers of animal behaviour have arrived at different formulations. In 1981, Beck published

3705-413: Is tool use is disputed because the bread is not manipulated or held by the bird. Captive orcas have been observed baiting and catching a bird with a regurgitated fish, as well as showing similar behaviour in the wild. Tool use by animals may indicate different levels of learning and cognition . For some animals, tool use is largely instinctive and inflexible. For example, the woodpecker finch of

3800-400: Is varied and includes hunting (mammals, invertebrates, fish), collecting honey, processing food (nuts, fruits, vegetables and seeds), collecting water, weapons and shelter. Tool manufacture is much rarer than simple tool use and probably represents higher cognitive functioning. Soon after her initial discovery of tool use, Goodall observed other chimpanzees picking up leafy twigs, stripping off

3895-509: The Galápagos Islands use twigs or spines as an essential and regular part of its foraging behaviour, but these behaviours are often quite inflexible and are not applied effectively in different situations. The mechanisms driving other tool use, e.g. chimpanzee tool-use, are still debated. Whilst some may argue that behaviours such as using twigs to "fish" for termites , may be developed by watching others use tools and may even be

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3990-426: The Industrial Revolution marking an inflection point in the use of tools. The introduction of widespread automation in the 19th and 20th centuries allowed tools to operate with minimal human supervision, further increasing the productivity of human labor . By extension, concepts that support systematic or investigative thought are often referred to as "tools" or "toolkits". While a common-sense understanding of

4085-484: The Royal Navy . For transportation of goods on a larger scale, larger containers remained a problem, as customs officials inspecting imports had to deal with a lack of standardization in this field, and because predominantly wooden containers in use well into the twentieth century were prone to leaking or breaking. The standardized steel shipping container was developed in the 1950s, and quickly became ubiquitous for

4180-646: The Swiss Army knife represents one of the earliest examples. Other tools have a primary purpose but also incorporate other functionality – for example, lineman's pliers incorporate a gripper and cutter and are often used as a hammer; and some hand saws incorporate a square in the right-angle between the blade's dull edge and the saw's handle. This would also be the category of "multi-purpose" tools, since they are also multiple tools in one (multi-use and multi-purpose can be used interchangeably – compare hand axe ). These types of tools were specifically made to catch

4275-699: The Tharu people , and native Hawaiian people. These were followed by woven baskets , carved wood , and pottery . Containers thereafter continued to develop along with related advances in human technology , and with the development of new materials and new means of manufacture. Early glass bottles were produced by the Phoenicians ; specimens of Phoenician translucent and transparent glass bottles have been found in Cyprus and Rhodes generally varying in length from three to six inches. These Phoenician examples from

4370-480: The Republic of Congo. They first use a smaller stick to break open the termite or ant mound, then use a large stick to make holes in the prey's colony, and then insert a 'fishing probe' into the hole and pull out all the termites or ants that have gathered on the stick. There are more limited reports of the closely related bonobo ( Pan paniscus ) using tools in the wild; it has been claimed they rarely use tools in

4465-449: The appropriate part of the handle with an edge, and scribing along the back edge of the saw. The latter is illustrated by the saying "All tools can be used as hammers". Nearly all tools can be used to function as a hammer, even though few tools are intentionally designed for it and even fewer work as well as the original. Tools are often used to substitute for many mechanical apparatuses, especially in older mechanical devices. In many cases

4560-401: The behaviour because she was unsure what David was doing. She found that the termites bit onto the grass with their jaws. David had been using the grass as a tool to "fish" or "dip" for termites. Soon after this initial discovery of tool use, Goodall observed David and other chimpanzees picking up leafy twigs, stripping off the leaves, and using the stems to fish for insects. This modification of

4655-489: The body, in this case, talons" and is thus a true form of tool use. On the other hand, the use of fixed skewers may not be true tool-use because the thorn (or other pointed objects) is not manipulated by the bird. Leopards perform a similar behaviour by dragging carcasses up trees and caching them in the forks of branches. Several species of bird, including herons such as the striated heron ( Butorides striatus ), will place bread in water to attract fish. Whether this

4750-546: The communication network at another level. It is in the domain of media and communications technology that a counter-intuitive aspect of our relationships with our tools first began to gain popular recognition. John M. Culkin famously said, "We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us". One set of scholars expanded on this to say: "Humans create inspiring and empowering technologies but also are influenced, augmented, manipulated, and even imprisoned by technology". Tool use by animals Tool use by non-humans

4845-409: The completion of the work. Personal protective equipment includes such items as gloves , safety glasses , ear defenders and biohazard suits. Often, by design or coincidence, a tool may share key functional attributes with one or more other tools. In this case, some tools can substitute for other tools, either as a makeshift solution or as a matter of practical efficiency. "One tool does it all"

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4940-406: The connection between physical and conceptual tools by quoting the French scientist Claude Bernaud : we must change [our ideas] when they have served their purpose, as we change a blunt lancet that we have used long enough. Similarly, a decision-making process "developed to help women and their partners make confident and informed decisions when planning where to give birth" is described as

5035-433: The context of food acquisition, while wild bonobos appear to use tools mainly for personal care (cleaning, protection from rain) and social purposes. Wild bonobos have been observed using leaves as cover for rain, or the use of branches in social displays. Research in 2007 showed that common chimpanzees sharpen sticks to use as weapons when hunting mammals. This is considered the first evidence of systematic use of weapons in

5130-549: The definition of what constitutes a tool and therefore which behaviours can be considered true examples of tool use. Observation has confirmed that a number of species can use tools including monkeys , apes , elephants , several birds, and sea otters . Now the unique relationship of humans with tools is considered to be that we are the only species that uses tools to make other tools. Primates are well known for using tools for hunting or gathering food and water, cover for rain, and self-defense. Chimpanzees have often been

5225-1018: The depth of water and as "walking sticks" to support their posture when crossing deeper water. An adult female used a detached trunk from a small shrub as a stabiliser during food gathering, and another used a log as a bridge. One possible explanation for the absence of observed tool use in wild gorillas is that they are less dependent on foraging techniques that require the use of tools, since they exploit food resources differently from chimpanzees . Whereas chimpanzees and orangutans feeding involves tools such as hammers to crack open nuts and sticks to fish for termites, gorillas access these foods by breaking nuts with their teeth and smashing termite mounds with their hands. Captive western lowland gorillas have been observed to threaten each other with sticks and larger pieces of wood, while others use sticks for hygienic purposes. Some females have attempted to use logs as ladders. In another group of captive gorillas, several individuals were observed throwing sticks and branches into

5320-407: The development of several machine tools . They have their origins in the tools developed in the 18th century by makers of clocks and watches and scientific instrument makers to enable them to batch-produce small mechanisms. Before the advent of machine tools, metal was worked manually using the basic hand tools of hammers, files, scrapers, saws, and chisels. Consequently, the use of metal machine parts

5415-636: The disadvantage of changing dimensions with temperature and humidity, and the various joints tended to rack (work loose) over time. As the Industrial Revolution progressed, machines with metal parts and frames became more common. Other important uses of metal parts were in firearms and threaded fasteners, such as machine screws, bolts, and nuts. There was also the need for precision in making parts. Precision would allow better working machinery, interchangeability of parts, and standardization of threaded fasteners. The demand for metal parts led to

5510-473: The early centuries of recorded history, but archaeological evidence can provide dates of development and use. Several of the six classic simple machines ( wheel and axle , lever , pulley , inclined plane , wedge , and screw ) were invented in Mesopotamia . The wheel and axle mechanism first appeared with the potter's wheel , invented in what is now Iraq during the 5th millennium BC. This led to

5605-520: The end of its useful life. Practical examples of containers are listed below. Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools , only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates back hundreds of millennia, have been observed using tools to make other tools. Early human tools, made of such materials as stone , bone , and wood , were used for

5700-428: The entrance with their abdomens, ready to sting. The chimpanzee then disables them with the stick to make them fall out and eats them rapidly. Afterwards, the chimpanzee opens the branch with its teeth to obtain the grubs and the honey. Chimpanzees have even been observed using two tools: a stick to dig into an ant nest and a "brush" made from grass stems with their teeth to collect the ants. Honey of four bee species

5795-444: The eye of many different craftsman who traveled to do their work. To these workers these types of tools were revolutionary because they were one tool or one device that could do several different things. With this new revolution of tools, the traveling craftsman would not have to carry so many tools with them to job sites, in that their space would be limited to the vehicle or to the beast of burden they were driving. Multi-use tools solve

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5890-549: The first millennium BC were thought to have been used to contain perfume . The Romans learned glass-making from the Phoenicians and produced many extant examples of fine glass bottles, mostly relatively small. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, sizes for retail containers such as glass bottles had become standardized for their markets. In 1810, Frenchman Philippe de Girard came to London and used British merchant Peter Durand as an agent to patent his own idea for

5985-462: The fruit of the Neesia tree ripens, its hard, ridged husk softens until it falls open. Inside are seeds that are highly desirable to the orangutans, but they are surrounded by fibreglass-like hairs that are painful if eaten. A Neesia -eating orangutan will select a 12 cm stick, strip off the bark, and then carefully collect the hairs with it. Once the fruit is safe, the ape will eat the seeds using

6080-535: The hands. In captivity, orangutans have been taught to chip stone to make and use Oldowan tools. Orangutans living in Borneo scavenge fish that wash up along the shore and scoop catfish out of small ponds for fresh meals. Over two years, anthropologist Anne Russon observed orangutans learning to jab sticks at catfish to scare them out of the ponds and in to their waiting hands. Although orangutans usually fished alone, Russon observed pairs of apes catching catfish on

6175-429: The howler monkeys' use of leaves to treat wounds. Use is further nuanced by if a species uses objects they have found or objects that they have modified. Of the 32 species that exhibit tool use, 11 of these exhibit object modification to make tools. In a captive environment, capuchins readily insert a stick into a tube containing viscous food that clings to the stick, which they then extract and lick. Capuchins also use

6270-467: The invention of the wheeled vehicle in Mesopotamia during the early 4th millennium BC. The lever was used in the shadoof water-lifting device, the first crane machine, which appeared in Mesopotamia c.  3000 BC , and then in ancient Egyptian technology c.  2000 BC . The earliest evidence of pulleys date back to Mesopotamia in the early 2nd millennium BC. The screw ,

6365-476: The large-scale transportation of commercial goods. Towards the end of the Twentieth century, the introduction of computer-aided design made it possible to design highly specialized containers and container arrangements, and also to make form-fitting labels for containers of unusual shapes. A number of considerations go into the design of modern containers: The product characteristics that create utility for

6460-490: The last of the simple machines to be invented, first appeared in Mesopotamia during the Neo-Assyrian period (911–609 BC). The Assyrian King Sennacherib (704–681 BC) claims to have invented automatic sluices and to have been the first to use water screw pumps , of up to 30 tons weight, which were cast using two-part clay molds rather than by the ' lost wax ' process. The Jerwan Aqueduct ( c.  688 BC)

6555-433: The leaves and using the stems to fish for insects. This change of a leafy twig into a tool was a major discovery. Prior to this, scientists thought that only humans manufactured and used tools, and that this ability was what separated humans from other animals. In 1990, it was claimed the only primate to manufacture tools in the wild was the chimpanzee. However, since then, several primates have been reported as tool makers in

6650-483: The meaning of tool is widespread, several formal definitions have been proposed. In 1981, Benjamin Beck published a widely used definition of tool use. This has been modified to: The external employment of an unattached or manipulable attached environmental object to alter more efficiently the form, position, or condition of another object, another organism, or the user itself, when the user holds and directly manipulates

6745-528: The mounds with their mothers—males spend more time playing. When they are adults, females need more termite protein because with young to care for, they cannot hunt the way males can. Populations differ in the prevalence of tool use for fishing for invertebrates. Chimpanzees in the Tai National Park only sometimes use tools, whereas Gombe chimpanzees rely almost exclusively on tools for their intake of driver ants . This may be due to difference in

6840-409: The nests used for resting. It has been reported that a Sumatran orangutan used a large leaf as an umbrella in a tropical rainstorm. Orangutans produce an alarm call known as a "kiss squeak" when they encounter a predator like a snake. Sometimes, orangutans will strip leaves from a branch and hold them in front of their mouth when making the sound. It has been found this lowers the maximum frequency of

6935-480: The object of study in regard to their usage of tools, most famously by Jane Goodall ; these animals are closely related to humans. Wild tool-use in other primates, especially among apes and monkeys , is considered relatively common, though its full extent remains poorly documented, as many primates in the wild are mainly only observed distantly or briefly when in their natural environments and living without human influence. Some novel tool-use by primates may arise in

7030-412: The only tools of "early man" that were studied and given importance. Now, more tools are recognized as culturally and historically relevant. As well as hunting, other activities required tools such as preparing food, "...nutting, leatherworking , grain harvesting and woodworking..." Included in this group are "flake stone tools". Tools are the most important items that the ancient humans used to climb to

7125-653: The order Carnivora have been observed using tools, often to trap prey or break open the shells of prey, as well as for scratching and problem-solving. Corvids (such as crows , ravens and rooks ) are well known for their large brains (among birds ) and tool use. New Caledonian crows are among the only animals that create their own tools. They mainly manufacture probes out of twigs and wood (and sometimes metal wire) to catch or impale larvae . Tool use in some birds may be best exemplified in nest intricacy. Tailorbirds manufacture 'pouches' to make their nests in. Some birds, such as weaver birds , build complex nests utilising

7220-499: The preparation of food , hunting , the manufacture of weapons , and the working of materials to produce clothing and useful artifacts and crafts such as pottery , along with the construction of housing , businesses , infrastructure , and transportation . The development of metalworking made additional types of tools possible. Harnessing energy sources , such as animal power , wind , or steam , allowed increasingly complex tools to produce an even larger range of items, with

7315-427: The problem of having to deal with many different tools. Tool use by animals is a phenomenon in which an animal uses any kind of tool in order to achieve a goal such as acquiring food and water, grooming , defense, communication , recreation or construction . Originally thought to be a skill possessed only by humans , some tool use requires a sophisticated level of cognition. There is considerable discussion about

7410-420: The remaining honey with fishing tools. Tai chimpanzees crack open nuts with rocks, but there is no record of Gombe chimpanzees using rocks in this way. After opening nuts by pounding with a hammer, parts of the kernels may be too difficult to reach with the teeth or fingernails, and some individuals use sticks to remove these remains, instead of pounding the nut further with the hammer as other individuals do:

7505-459: The rewards gained by tool use: Gombe chimpanzees collect 760 ants/min compared to 180 ants/min for the Tai chimpanzees. Some chimpanzees use tools to hunt large bees ( Xylocopa sp.) which make nests in dead branches on the ground or in trees. To get to the grubs and the honey, the chimpanzee first tests for the presence of adults by probing the nest entrance with a stick. If present, adult bees block

7600-549: The shells of prey, as well as for scratching. Corvids (such as crows , ravens and rooks ) are well known for their large brains (among birds ) and tool use. New Caledonian crows are among the only animals that create their own tools. They mainly manufacture probes out of twigs and wood (and sometimes metal wire) to catch or impale larvae . Tool use in some birds may be best exemplified in nest intricacy. Tailorbirds manufacture 'pouches' to make their nests in. Some birds, such as weaver birds , build complex nests utilizing

7695-406: The sound effects. Many other species of animals, both avian and non-avian, play with objects in a similar manner. The impaling of prey on thorns by many of the shrikes ( Laniidae ) is well known. Several other birds may use spines or forked sticks to anchor a carcass while they flay it with the bill. It has been concluded that "This is an example of a fixed device which serves as an extension of

7790-417: The sound i.e. makes it deeper, and in addition, smaller orangutans are more likely to use the leaves. It has been suggested they use the leaves to make themselves sound bigger than they really are, the first documented case of an animal using a tool to manipulate sound. There are few reports of gorillas using tools in the wild. Western lowland gorillas have been observed using sticks to apparently measure

7885-403: The spear into hollows in tree trunks where bushbabies sleep. There was a single case in which a chimpanzee successfully extracted a bushbaby with the tool. It has been suggested that the word "spear" is an overstatement that makes the chimpanzees seem too much like early humans, and that the term "bludgeon" is more accurate, since the point of the tool may not be particularly sharp. This behaviour

7980-438: The stick or its fingers. Sumatran orangutans will use a stick to poke a bees' nest wall, move it around and catch the honey. Orangutans have been observed using sticks to apparently measure the depth of water. It has been reported that orangutans use tools for a wide range of purposes including using leaves as protective gloves or napkins, using leafy branches to swat insects or gather water, and building sun or rain covers above

8075-476: The tool during or prior to use and is responsible for the proper and effective orientation of the tool. Other, briefer definitions have been proposed: An object carried or maintained for future use. The use of physical objects other than the animal's own body or appendages as a means to extend the physical influence realized by the animal. An object that has been modified to fit a purpose ... [or] An inanimate object that one uses or modifies in some way to cause

8170-455: The tool. Other, briefer definitions have been proposed: An object carried or maintained for future use. The use of physical objects other than the animal's own body or appendages as a means to extend the physical influence realized by the animal. An object that has been modified to fit a purpose ... [or] An inanimate object that one uses or modifies in some way to cause a change in the environment, thereby facilitating one's achievement of

8265-530: The top of the food chain ; by inventing tools, they were able to accomplish tasks that human bodies could not, such as using a spear or bow to kill prey , since their teeth were not sharp enough to pierce many animals' skins. "Man the hunter" as the catalyst for Hominin change has been questioned. Based on marks on the bones at archaeological sites, it is now more evident that pre-humans were scavenging off of other predators' carcasses rather than killing their own food. Many tools were made in prehistory or in

8360-402: The use of one tool that has at least two different capabilities. "Multi-purpose" tools are basically multiple tools in one device/tool. Tools such as this are often power tools that come with many different attachments like a rotary tool does, so one could say that a power drill is a "multi-purpose" tool. A multi-tool is a hand tool that incorporates several tools into a single, portable device;

8455-481: The water does not evaporate), and reaching food that is out of reach. In addition to primates and elephants, many other social mammals particularly have been observed engaging in tool use. A group of dolphins in Shark Bay uses sea sponges to protect their beaks while foraging. Sea otters will use rocks or other hard objects to dislodge food (such as abalone ) and break open shellfish . Many or most mammals of

8550-468: The water does not evaporate), and reaching food that is out of reach. Many other social mammals particularly have been observed engaging in tool-use. A group of dolphins in Shark Bay uses sea sponges to protect their beaks while foraging. Sea otters will use rocks or other hard objects to dislodge food (such as abalone ) and break open shellfish . Many or most mammals of the order Carnivora have been observed using tools, often to trap or break open

8645-457: The wild although they use tools as readily as chimpanzees when in captivity, It has been reported that females of both chimpanzees and bonobos use tools more avidly than males. Leonid Firsov reported a case when two female chimpanzees had the keys to their cage accidentally left at least 2.7 meters (9 feet) away from it, and managed to use objects at hand as improvised tools to retrieve them and get out. Wild chimpanzees predominantly use tools in

8740-425: The wild in 1994 in the northwest corner of Sumatra. As with the chimpanzees, orangutans use tools made from branches and leaves to scratch, scrape, wipe, sponge, swat, fan, hook, probe, scoop, pry, chisel, hammer, cover, cushion and amplify. They will break off a tree branch that is about 30 cm long, snap off the twigs, fray one end and then use the stick to dig in tree holes for termites. Sumatran orangutans use

8835-408: The wild. Both bonobos and chimpanzees have been observed making "sponges" out of leaves and moss that suck up water and using these for grooming. Sumatran orangutans will take a live branch, remove twigs and leaves and sometimes the bark, before fraying or flattening the tip for use on ants or bees. In the wild, mandrills have been observed to clean their ears with modified tools. Scientists filmed

8930-491: Was kept to a minimum. Hand methods of production were very laborious and costly and precision was difficult to achieve. With their inherent precision, machine tools enabled the economical production of interchangeable parts . Examples of machine tools include: Advocates of nanotechnology expect a similar surge as tools become microscopic in size. One can classify tools according to their basic functions: Some tools may be combinations of other tools. An alarm-clock

9025-401: Was seen more frequently in females, particularly adolescent females, and young chimps in general, than in adult males. Chimpanzees often eat the marrow of long bones of colobus monkeys with the help of small sticks, after opening the ends of the bones with their teeth. A juvenile female was observed to eat small parts of the brain of an intact skull that she could not break open by inserting

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