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tool-using behavior

the ability of nonhuman animals to use objects as tools. For example, a finch may use a cactus spine to probe for insects, and an antlion may hurl grains of sand at prey to make them fall into a pit. Chimpanzees frequently use sticks to push into termite mounds, use leaves as sponges for drinking or cleaning themselves, and use stones of different sizes as hammers and anvils to break open nuts. Distinctive patterns of tool use are found in different populations of chimpanzees across Africa, suggesting “cultural traditions” of tool-using behavior. Chimpanzees, orangutans, and capuchin monkeys in captivity also demonstrate the ability to use novel objects as tools to reach otherwise inaccessible food. This behavior requires a capacity to generalize relationships between the presence of an object in the environment and its usefulness in extending the animal’s reach.

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

Down syndrome

Down syndrome

a chromosomal disorder characterized by an extra chromosome 21 and manifested by a round flat face and eyes that seem to slant (the disorder was formerly known as mongolism). Brain size and weight are below average; affected individuals usually have mild to severe intellectual disability and have been characterized as having docile, agreeable dispositions. Muscular movements tend to be slow, clumsy, and uncoordinated. In many cases, growth is stunted, the tongue is thick, and the fingers are stubby. Affected individuals may have heart defects and respiratory insufficiencies or anomalies that are often corrected during infancy by surgery. However, lifespan is reduced compared with that in the general population, and affected individuals typically show early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Down syndrome is one of the most common physiological causes of intellectual disability. Also called Langdon Down’s disease; trisomy 21. See also autosomal trisomy of group G. [described in 1866 by John Langdon Haydon Down (1828–1896), British physician]