Contrary to the speculations in the Random Samples item “Man, the toothpick user” (28 Apr., p. 607) and to Peter Ungar and co-workers' suggestions ([1][1]), toothpick use is not unique to genus Homo , nor even to hominids. Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) use twigs not only to clean their teeth, but also to extract loose deciduous ones. Such tool use is self-directed ([2][2]), as well as done socially when one individual ape performs elementary dentistry on another ([3][3]). Once again, an assertion of human uniqueness does not stand up to closer scrutiny. 1. [↵][4]1. P. S. Ungar, 2. F. E. Grine, 3. M. F. Teaford, 4. A. Perez-Perez, 5. C. C. Magori , Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. Suppl. 30, 307 (2000). [OpenUrl][5] 2. [↵][6]1. W. C. McGrew, 2. C.E. G. Tutin , Nature 241, 477 (1973). [OpenUrl][7][CrossRef][8][Web of Science][9] 3. [↵][10]1. W. C. McGrew, 2. C.E. G. Tutin , J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 85, 1198 (1972). [OpenUrl][11][PubMed][12][Web of Science][13] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAm.%2BJ.%2BPhys.%2BAnthropol.%2BSuppl.%26rft.volume%253D30%26rft.spage%253D307%26rft.atitle%253DAM%2BJ%2BPHYS%2BANTHROPOL%2BSUPPL%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNature%26rft.volume%253D241%26rft.spage%253D477%26rft.atitle%253DNATURE%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1038%252F241477a0%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1038/241477a0&link_type=DOI [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1973O749500066&link_type=ISI [10]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [11]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DThe%2BJournal%2Bof%2Bthe%2BAmerican%2BDental%2BAssociation%26rft.stitle%253DJournal%2Bof%2Bthe%2BAmerican%2BDental%2BAssociation%26rft.issn%253D0002-8177%26rft.aulast%253DMcGrew%26rft.auinit1%253DW.%26rft.volume%253D85%26rft.issue%253D6%26rft.spage%253D1198%26rft.epage%253D1204%26rft.atitle%253DChimpanzee%2Bdentistry%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F4508197%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [12]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=4508197&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F288%2F5472%2F1747.2.atom [13]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1972O169200010&link_type=ISI