NOVA Season 35 Ape Genius 2008
At a research site in Fongoli, Senegal, a female chimpanzee breaks off a branch, chews the end to make it sharp, and then uses this rudimentary spear to skewer a tasty bush baby hiding inside a hollow tree. It’s an astonishing breakthrough for primate researchers—the first time anyone has documented a chimpanzee wielding a carefully prepared, preplanned weapon. But it's only the latest in a slew of extraordinary new findings about ape behavior. The more researchers learn about the great apes—chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans—the more evidence they find of creative intelligence. What, then, is the essential difference between them and us? "Ape Genius," a NOVA-National Geographic special, explores that provocative question and examines research that is illuminating the ape mind. Bit by bit, investigators are finding an explanation for why the non-human great apes never made the breakthrough into a human-style culture that builds on the achievements of previous generations.
- Released: 2008-02-19
- Runtime: 55 minutes
- Genre: Documentary
- Stars:
- Director:
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1. Secrets of the Samurai Sword 2007-10-09
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2. Ghost in Your Genes 2007-10-16
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3. Marathon Challenge 2007-10-30
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4. Sputnik Declassified 2007-11-07
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6. Master of the Killer Ants 2007-11-20
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7. Missing in MiG Alley 2007-12-18
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8. Absolute Zero: The Conquest of Cold 2008-01-08
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10. Secrets of the Parthenon 2008-01-29
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11. Astrospies 2008-02-12
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12. Ape Genius 2008-02-19
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13. The Four Winged Dinosaur 2008-02-26
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14. Cracking the Maya Code 2008-04-08
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15. Car of the Future 2008-04-22
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16. A Walk to Beautiful 2008-05-13
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17. Lord of the Ants 2008-05-20
