Chimp & See Talk

Tool use tagging guidelines

  • ChimpMods by ChimpMods

    This thread is to have all the tool use tagging information in one place. : )

    The main tag we use for tool use is #tool_use, please use that rather than tool_usage or another variation.

    Within the tool use category, the most common behavior we see is nut-cracking. Once you've added the #tool_use tag to a video, simply add #nuts to it to indicate nut-cracking. If you'd like to specify the material of the hammer, please use #hammerstone for stone hammers, and #woodhammer for hammers made of wood.

    Chimp cracking nuts with stone hammer

    enter image description here

    Chimp cracking nuts with wooden hammer

    enter image description here


    Chimpanzees use tools to fish for termites. If you see this, you can add #termites in addition to #tool_use. There are three types of termite fishing to specify as well. For above ground mounds, use #mound, for termites along the surface of the ground, use #surface, and for subterranean termites, we have #epigaeic. Surface fishing looks very similar to ant dipping, so feel free to start a Talk thread if you think you've seen it.

    Chimp fishing at a mound

    enter image description here

    Chimp fishing on surface termites

    enter image description here

    We haven't yet seen epigaeic fishing, but you can watch this video from our collaborators at The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project for an example.


    We haven't yet seen any ant dipping tool use, but the tag will be #ants when we do. Again, ant dipping looks very similar to surface termite fishing, so please feel free to bring it up on Talk!


    Sometimes chimps throw stones into tree hollows. If you see this behavior, you can use #stonethrow.

    Chimp throwing stone at tree

    Imgur


    There are a few other tool use behaviors coming up in the future, so watch this space for updates!

    Posted

  • AnLand by AnLand moderator

    As the discussion is closed, I need to ask here for some clarification. I think, it would be helpful to keep guides like this (in contrast to the species' guides) open for clarifying questions. It is better to have all clarifying discussions in one thread than to start several ones with the need to link these clarifications later.

    • How should we tag tool use that is only been heard? For the nutcracking it seems that it is tagged with #tool_use plus #off_camera. For the #stonethrow it has been said not to tag off-camera action.

    • What about cases when a tool is picked up or just carried? Should we also indicate a tool usage-related behavior here to flag the videos for review, or just tag #carrying_object without any specification?

    • What about cases when the tool-use action has preceded the video start? We might see the individual starting to feed and the tool (e.g., stick) still in hand, or the chimp is putting the tool away/down for feeding. Or in the case of stone throw, we might see a stone rolling at the beginning of the video, but not the actual throw.

    Thanks!

    Posted

  • MimiA by MimiA scientist, moderator

    Hi AnLand:

    Q1: How should we tag tool use that is only been heard? For the nutcracking it seems that it is tagged with #tool_use plus #off_camera. For the #stonethrow it has been said not to tag off-camera action*

    • I think using #off_camera is the way to go when it is only heard

    Q2: "What about cases when a tool is picked up or just carried? Should we also indicate a tool usage-related behavior here to flag the videos for review, or just tag #carrying_object without any specification?"

    Q3: What about cases when the tool-use action has preceded the video start? We might see the individual starting to feed and the tool (e.g., stick) still in hand, or the chimp is putting the tool away/down for feeding. Or in the case of stone throw, we might see a stone rolling at the beginning of the video, but not the actual throw.

    • don't use #tool_use for these, as long as it is in 1 of the 4 other clips we will know its there and we will be able to know in which 15 second clip, which is great! If we don't have the rest of the clip, then it is just a guess anyway, so you could use #off_camera here if you wanted.

    thank YOU!

    Posted

  • AnLand by AnLand moderator

    Thanks and my apologies for the tedious questions! I think it is important to know.

    Posted