Only the group of orangutans on the left side of the river which is amazing Alas has used a form of a small wooden stick to open the fruit cemenggang hard and spiny skin. They also picked the seeds of the fruit with it, so avoid the thorns surrounding soft fruit seeds.

When the research team then compared with other orangutan groups separated by the river, surprisingly orangutans right side across the river just does not use the tool to open the same fruit. Whereas in the orangutan’s habitat is a small wooden sticks more. But they did not used. On the contrary occurred in the group of orangutans on the other side of river.

“We found a cultural boundaries,” said Carel time. “If culture is an innovation of the social transmission, then the innovation can occur in a particular place, then spread out through space until it blocked an obstacle. We found a pattern like that. And, well … We really see that there is a culture. Culture orangutans. ”

The researchers also found an unusual behavior in several other orangutan populations. An example is found in Michelle Merrill (Duke University) specifically examine the “language” of orangutans through the vowels that are often released orangutans. Michele found a vowel sound which he called “kiss-Squeak” (kiss squeaks). These vowel signs sounded when the orangutan was no danger on him. When this primate experts compare these findings, they found there were variations in the creation kiss-Squeak noise from different groups of orangutans.

“In some areas, the sound of this kiss-Squeak loudly sounded dank eras, So loud sounds they use hands or leaves,” said Carel. “In Sumatra, none of the orangutan sounds a kiss-Squeak with leaves. However, some populations in Borneo orangutans use it with leaves. It looks like a sloppy but for us it was very clear that the indicator culture was happening there, “he added.

Other findings, orangutans also use gloves to open the leaves when fruit prickly skin (observed only in Ketambe and Agusan, Aceh Tenggara). Also found that the orangutans protect his head from the sun or rain with a broad leaf as a hat. Their nests were given a roof so they could escape from the heat and the rain (observed in almost all research areas).

The latest discovery was made from Washington’s young researcher, Meredith L Bastian, from Duke University. Although only a few months, he has found some cultural variants extraordinary orangutans in the wild orangutans Master (350 ha) and river Lading (200 ha), Kapuas, Central Kalimantan.

“I have not been able to analyze it more deeply. But I also see that there orangutans have a language where they can read the minds of his friends. At that, one of the orangutans there just staring at each other, then the others jump in with something that seems necessary these orangutans, “he explained,

Another thing which he said was very unusual and he has never seen is that the orangutans there could also embraced, kissed and made love neighbor behavior of orangutans is so high. He also saw his creative betap orangutans there when she realized begin limited food resources available in the forest. Orangutan started looking for other alternatives to the food he eats for a living.

Meredith is currently preparing the thesis of: Effect of Dispersal Barrier on Cultural Similiarity in Wild Orangutans also see that the orangutans there could open the hard-skinned fruit with a direct attempt to bite. But this is very different from the orangutan in Sumatra who are familiar with tools if they open the fruit skin tougher.

“But it is also not necessarily that of orangutans on Sumatra are smarter than in Kalimantan. Because ecologically possible, situations and environmental conditions and different woods, “he explained to the author.

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