Chimpanzees throwing feces is a sign of intelligence

If you have ever been to the zoo and a primate has thrown feces at you, you should know that it is a sign of intelligence, according to a study carried out by Bill Hopkins and his colleagues at Emory University (USA) and published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

The researchers focused on studying chimpanzees, with whom they have been working for several years. Using MRI images, they analyzed whether there was any brain difference between chimpanzees that throw objects and feces and those that do not . Interestingly, they found that the former had greater development in the motor cortex of the brain – especially those that hit the mark – and more connections between this region and Broca's area, which is important for language in humans. In other words, the best "pitchers" had the most developed left brain . And since it is in this half of the brain where language is processed in humans, scientists suspect that the ability to throw objects could be a precursor to the development of speech in humans.

Added to this is that studies revealed that the most skilled throwers were also better communicators within the group.