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Revisiting "Tool" for a More Unified and Holistic Definition in Animal Behavior

Jayashree Mazumder¹, Parth Randhir Chauhan²

¹Centre of Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Evolutionary Anthropology

|August 13, 2025

Abstract:

Understanding the concept of "tool" is vital for the study of animal behavior and cognition. The definition of what exactly constitutes a tool, its characteristics, and the corresponding behaviors is pivotal yet challenging due to its often arbitrary and anthropocentric nature. This ambiguity hinders our comprehension and necessitates further exploration into the essence of tools. A precise and widely accepted definition is critical for progress in fields such as anthropology, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology, enabling a more focused study on the evolution of tool use. It is important to identify why and how certain objects become tools among different species, including humans. This paper seeks to refine the definition of a "tool" by synthesizing prior research involving tools, tooling, or tool-using animals, aiming to offer a unified framework that can support and guide future research endeavors in understanding the intricacies and evolution of tool use across species.

Keywords:

animal studies anthropology characteristics cognition definition

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