Did tool-use lead to talking? Dr. Gilly Forrester’s groundbreaking research has contributed significantly to our understanding of the evolution of language in humans. Her work, focused on the cognitive abilities of great apes, has highlighted fascinating discoveries about their use of tools and problem solving abilities. One of Gilly's observations has been that apes can modify tools to make them more effective, suggesting a level of cognitive flexibility that was previously thought to be unique to humans. Furthermore, they use tools for a wide range of purposes, including foraging, hunting and - importantly - communication. The latter, Gilly proposes, suggests that tool use may have been a precursor to the development of language in humans. Join us this week on Talking Apes Podcast where Dr Gillian Forrester shares her captivating findings on how tool-use may have been the evolutionary stepping stone that laid the foundations for the language that we humans we use today.Gillian Forrester is Professor of Evolutionary and Developmental Psychology at the University of Sussex. She holds her PhD in Biological Anthropology from the University of Cambridge. To learn more about her work visit:gillianforrester.commehuman.io*Please note, the chimpanzee in the header photo is behind glass. We at GLOBIO do not condone human-ape contact unless in an emergency situation. Support the showTalking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO. Official website: talkingapes.orgInstagram: @talkingapes_podcastTwitter: @talking_apes Click here to support the show.