PHILADELPHIA—A new study published Friday by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania found that under certain conditions, even the most primitive of shoppers possessed the ability to purchase simple tools from their local hardware stores. “Our research indicated that while these customers lacked a highly developed prefrontal cortex, they could nonetheless use money to acquire basic tools and transport these items back to their places of dwelling,” said evolutionary biologist Sheila Simmonds, who co-authored the study. “This is a startling discovery, as we previously believed they lacked this capacity entirely. We even found evidence suggesting that some lower-order shoppers had a rudimentary ability to fumble in their pockets and try a different credit card if their first one was denied.” Simmons suggested that a future study might look at whether primitive customers had the verbal skills necessary to ask for the tool they wanted, or were forced to simply point and stare at it with their mouth open until someone helped them.