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 Beginning in 1990, Stone Age Institute researchers Nicholas Toth and Kathy Schick, in collaboration with Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and Duane Rumbaugh, taught bonobos at the Language Research Center in Atlanta to make and use flaked stone tools.
 Two bonobos, Kanzi and Panbanisha, acquired the skills to obtain food by producing sharp edged flakes used for cutting.
Through the efforts of Toth, Schick and Great Ape Trust, this research will investigate the technological skills and behaviors in modern apes in order to shed light on human evolution and to better understand the development of tool making and tool using skills in humans.
The primary mission of the Stone Age Institute is to study the origins of human technology and the evolution of its technological adaptation in order to gain a better understanding of ourselves and our place in nature. A critical component of this undertaking is training and mentoring scholars from around the world to make this search for understanding broad-based and inclusive, and to take this research to those areas of the world where critical stages of this journey occurred.
 The goal of Stone Age Institute is to provide a haven for this research, providing opportunities for scholars from around the world conducting cutting-edge Stone Age human origins research. These include professional research scientists in long-term positions, postdoctoral research fellows, and visiting scholars. Fieldwork, collecting primary data from important archaeological sites, as well as laboratory studies and experimental archaeological research are all critical components of the Institute. Top scientists are invited to attend conferences, workshops, and retreats to discuss and work on special topics. A series of monographs by the Stone Age Institute Press on special selected topics in the field enhances the dissemination of information from our research and conferences.
The Institute is housed in a 11,400 square foot facility located on a 30 acre rural site outside Bloomington, Indiana. This scenic location is surrounded by protected forest and provides an ideal working atmosphere for the Institute staff and visiting scholars. |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
