Amazing story: For the first time, scientists have observed an orangutan applying a medicated paste that it made to heal a wound. www.bbc.com/news/science...
The word orangutan literally means "people of the forest." They're almost us. If orangutans were apple pies, Homo sapiens would be apple pie with some extra cinnamon.
It's said that some First Nations peoples who developed plant medicine first observed the use of plants, roots, behaviours of sick animals - learning from them what helped and healed.
Maybe not such a far fetched assertion.
While many animals eat plants and minerals that could be considered medicinal, I think it's highly unlikely FN people were seeing any kind of animal preparing a medication and applying it to their skin. This is an astonishing observation for any species. Goes well beyond tool use
Haha yeah, I can't see anything in North America with even the requisite fingers to pull that off.
Absolutely stunning, astonishing yes, this goes well beyond tools use!
Oh, ths is wonderful. It's been assumed that animals understood medicinal plants, but the use of them has never been witnessed! My little herbalist heart is over the moon.😍
Not true. The eating of mineral muds and salts, and certain plants, assumed to be for the purpose of defeating nutritional toxins or parasites, has been recorded many times.
This goes well beyond that, and well beyond even tool use. It's truly amazing.
FINALLY we are managing to gain evidence that shows the intelligence of other species and how humans are NOT unique or 'better adapted.' If only humans weren't so destructive and the amazing Orangutans weren't so terribly abused and endangered. (Anthro-biologist here...)
i was thinking the same! there’s no way this is the first time bc early humans would have seen this and gotten ideas. i think a lot of animals take medicine, like emetics and anthelminths.
It has been. Jane Goodall alone witnessed Gorillas self medicating with balms and ape made ointments in the 60s. The Chinese have tons of records about animals making their own healing and pain relief going back 100s of years. This just happens to be a great reminder of that.
