Just because you don't need spears doesn't mean you won't develop other simple technology. Nothing in my mind could have acted as a preceding invention to the wheel cart. So some species that hadn't made anything too similar to this, suddenly came up with it. Fishing for termites may occur, picking up a stick to hit a branch to knock something off, throwing a stone for the same reason.
TheA, I too should probably sleep, but hey.
I know what you mean about chimps being poor imitators, but are they imitating because they are aware there will be a reward if they do so, or because they are seeing something going on and think it looks interesting to do. If the second then it's merely the action of bashing that is needed, and if a nut suddenly comes out, maybe the reward stimulates it to get it right further. Unfortunatly it's very hard for us to know whats going on inside their heads. Nevertheless I agree, they aren't always that skilled at imitation.
As for the parrot thing. I wonder if such tests have been done. Quite probably, but I'm not searching for them now. I have no doubt that it would be able to choose the shape with the correct number of sides, if you asked for it to choose that. But whether you could say squares have 4 sides, then ask for a square, who knows.
Btw, Alex is dead, but the one that seems far more accomplished, is alive and kicking.
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