Ancient Fascination: Chimpanzees Reveal Deep Evolutionary Roots of Human Love for Crystals

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Ancient Fascination: Chimpanzees Reveal Deep Evolutionary Roots of Human Love for Crystals

Crystals have captivated humanity for millennia, from their potential use as tools or adornments in prehistoric times to their prominent place in contemporary cultures. Now, a pioneering study from Spain casts new light on this ingrained allure, revealing that our propensity for these shimmering stones might be deeply embedded in our evolutionary history, a trait shared with our closest primate relatives: chimpanzees.

Archaeological evidence suggests that early humans interacted with crystals as far back as 780,000 years ago. However, the precise purpose of these interactions – whether for utility, defense, or simply ornamentation – has remained a mystery. To better understand this phenomenon, a team of scientists in Spain, led by Juan Manuel García-Ruiz, a crystallographer and co-author of the study from the Donostia International Physics Center, turned their attention to the behavior of chimpanzees, who share approximately 98.8 percent of our DNA and a significant number of behavioral similarities.

Published in the journal 'Frontiers in Psychology,' the study details their experiments with two groups of enculturated chimpanzees, apes raised in environments enriched by human interaction. Group one included Manuela, Guillermo, Yvan, Yaki, and Toti, while Gombe, Lulú, Pascual, and Sandy comprised group two. Both groups were given access to crystals in a series of carefully designed experiments.

In the first experiment, a large crystal was placed on a platform alongside a normal rock of similar size. Initially, both objects caught the chimpanzees' attention. However, the primates soon discarded the ordinary rock, and the crystal became their clear favorite. Once the crystal was removed from the platform, all the chimpanzees meticulously inspected it, rotating and tilting it to view it from various angles. Yvan from group one even carried the crystal to the animals' dormitories, indicating a special value being ascribed to the crystal.

Researchers observed that the chimpanzees' interest in the crystal peaked immediately after initial exposure but gradually declined over time, a pattern mirroring human behavior as the novelty of an object fades. When caretakers attempted to retrieve the crystal, they had to exchange it for the chimpanzees' favorite snacks: yogurt and bananas, further underscoring its perceived value.

The second experiment revealed even more complex cognitive abilities. The chimpanzees were presented with a pile of 20 rounded pebbles, to which quartz, pyrite, and calcite crystals were then added. The chimpanzees demonstrated an astonishing ability to identify the crystals from among the pebbles within mere seconds. "The chimpanzees began to study the crystals' transparency with extreme curiosity, holding them up to eye level and looking through them," García-Ruiz commented.

The chimpanzees repeatedly examined the crystals for hours at a time. For instance, Sandy from group two carried pebbles and crystals in her mouth over to a wooden platform where she then meticulously separated them. "She separated the three crystal types, which themselves differed in transparency, symmetry, and luster, from all the pebbles. This ability to recognize crystals despite their differences amazed us," García-Ruiz added. This behavior, involving carrying objects in their mouths, is unusual for chimpanzees, potentially indicating they were hiding them or treating them as valuable objects.

The study did not delve into whether some chimpanzees showed more interest in specific crystals or laid claim to them more than others, but the team believes future studies could incorporate their individual personalities. "There are Don Quixotes and Sanchos: idealists and pragmatists. Some may find the transparency of crystals fascinating, while others are interested in their smell and whether they're edible," García-Ruiz explained.

It is important to note that the chimpanzees in this study had human contact and were familiar with objects not typically found in the wild. Therefore, conducting similar experiments with wild apes could offer additional insights into this behavior in natural settings.

Overall, crystal transparency and shape emerged as the most alluring properties during the experiments. These may very well be the same qualities that initially drew early humans to these rocks. In an environment dominated by curved forms – clouds, trees, mountains, animals, and rivers – encountering an object with straight lines and flat surfaces would have been profoundly appealing. Crystals are virtually the only natural solids that exhibit numerous flat surfaces, and early human brains may have been innately drawn to these unique patterns, distinct from their familiar world.

García-Ruiz concluded: "Our work helps explain our fascination with crystals and contributes to the understanding of the evolutionary roots of aesthetics and worldview. We now know that we've had crystals in our minds for at least six million years." This study not only deepens our understanding of primate behavior but also offers a compelling window into the evolution of our aesthetic sensibility and how our worldview has been shaped over millions of years.

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Ekhbary News Agency