I'm no whatever studies that but wouldn't there be a difference between using a stone to smash open a coconut and sharpening a stone, attaching it to a stick, and chopping down a tree with it?

[–] KISSmyOS@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Yes, there is.
But plenty of animals don't just pick up things they can use, but actually make tools for specific tasks.
Apes can and do sharpen stones they want to use as tools.
Crows have shown they can bend wire into a hook to fetch food out of a container.
Hell, on my commute, a group of crows drop nuts onto a pedestrian crossing, wait for cars to crush them, then collect them safely when the light for pedestrians turns green and the cars stop.