Just when you thought the Atlantic Puffin couldn’t get any cooler, researchers discover puffins use tools, and it’s not just one or two puffins that are exhibiting this behavior. Atlantic Puffins found thousands of kilometers away from each other have all shown to be tool users.https://youtu.be/1i7wFLF0UJEThe usage of tools has long been thought to be the differentiating factor between humans and other animals, however, that idea has long since been disproven. Recently Atlantic Puffins were seen doing things like using sticks to scratch themselves and each other with. Looks like the Atlantic Puffin continues to surprise researchers and birders. It’s not just puffins, however, that use tools. Many other animals aside from the Atlantic Puffin use tools.
CHIMPANZEES USING TOOLS
Chimpanzees, for example, have been making and using their own tools like hammers made out of stone since 3000 BC. Chimps are the closest living relatives to humans, and humans have been using tools for a very long time.
HUMANS USING TOOLS
Since the beginnings of the Stone Age, humans have been using tools like stone knives and axes. Roughly 1.75 million years ago, tool usage exploded in human populations. This was true not only for Homosapien populations but also for other human species that are now extinct, like Homoerectus and the Neanderthals. Humans and chimpanzees, however, are far from the only animals that use tools.
CROWS USING TOOLS
Other birds besides the Atlantic Puffin use tools. Crows are big-time tool users. They use everything from sticks and their own feathers in ingenious ways. They also know how to drop things from high up, like nuts and shells, in an effort to break them open when they hit the ground. Crows also collect things and stash them away in their nests, and have a strange affinity for shiny things like reflective foil, coins, and even jewelry. The strangest things have been found in crows nests. In Newfoundland, crows are also famous for sealing food from unsuspecting humans at local outdoor fish and chip stands. Usually, the way it goes it one crow will distract the humans about to dig into their fish and chips by standing on an adjacent table and even making a few sounds to get their attention while simultaneously one or two others swoop in from the sides to seal their lunch. Crows are really smart.
DOLPHIN AND SEA OTTER USING TOOLS
Around the coast of Newfoundland, we see dolphins and sea otters use tools all the time . We all know dolphins have a reputation for being smart. They’re actually one of the largest users of tools out there in the animal kingdom, besides humans of course. They use sponges to dig up food and also use stones to break open shells. Of all the marine mammals, sea otters are the only other ones besides dolphins that also use tools like stone hammers to break open shells and obtain food. Their cuteness is also right up there with the Atlantic Puffin.
OCTOPUS USE TOOLS
If you’ve spent any time diving and had the opportunity to see an octopus, it doesn’t take a long time to realize these animals are ultra-intelligent. Octopuses are known for being smart, emotional, and great problem solvers. They’re also major users of tools. Octopuses use tools to catch food and also use other sea crustaceans shells as shelter and to disguise their presence when hunting.
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