Long‐term fidelity of foraging techniques in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Abstract

The formation of behavioral traditions has been considered as one of the main building blocks of culture. Numerous studies on social learning in different animal species provide evidence for their capability of successful transmission of information. However, questions concerning the memory and maintenance of this information have received comparably little attention. After the innovation and initial spread of a novel behavior, the behavior should stabilize and be maintained over time. Otherwise, the behavioral pattern might collapse and no tradition formation would be possible. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term preferences in a two-action manipulation task in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Three captive family groups (23 individuals in total) were trained on one of two possible techniques to open a wooden box and gain access to a food reward, by either pulling or pushing a flap door. The training phase took place in a family group setting, while the test phase was conducted individually. Although the subjects could experience the alternative technique during the test sessions, the majority preferentially used the technique learned in the group setting. Moreover, the subjects were re-tested six times over a period of more than four years, in order to examine the fidelity of their preferences. The longest break without exposure the task lasted for 3.5 years. In all tests, the marmosets showed a similar preference as in the first test block shortly after the training. To our knowledge, this is the first lab study that experimentally demonstrates memory and fidelity of experimentally seeded information in a manipulation task over a time period of several years, supporting the assumption that socially learned foraging techniques can lead to relatively stable behavioral traditions.

Temporal consistency and ecological validity of personality structure in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): A unifying field and laboratory approach

“…Exploration–Avoidance and Boldness–Shyness showed a remarkable temporal consistency across 4 years, which supported similar findings of long‐term consistency in personality in other primates (Dutton, 2008; Stevenson‐Hinde et al, 1980a; Weiss et al, 2017), as well as that of the marmosets' consistency in solving extractive foraging tasks across a similar time period (Gunhold et al, 2015). However, we found that a change in breeding status (i.e., from helper to breeder) inside of the family group was linked to the overall increase in the individuals' personality trait Boldness–Shyness (Figure 1).…”

Consistent inter‐individual differences in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in Boldness‐Shyness, Stress‐Activity, and Exploration‐Avoidance

“…Callitrichids represent the smallest primates, which makes them vulnerable to predation from raptor birds and snakes [Grzimek, ], careful with novel objects and spaces [Fragaszy & Visalberghi, ], and thus, a particularly interesting species for studying the non‐social personality axes. Previous studies noted that individual common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ) differ in their reactions to various stimuli, and that this is consistent within an individual, over time [Gunhold et al, ]. Indeed, Koski & Burkart [] have recently found experimental evidence for personality in this species.…”

Stick-weaving: Innovative behavior in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

“…There is a wide variety of evidence from demonstrations of imitation in common marmosets ( Bugnyar & Huber, 1997; Voelkl and Huber, 2000), to rapid social learning without reinforcement in cotton-top tamarins (Moscovice & Snowdon, 2006), to long-term retention of socially learned behavior in both marmosets and tamarins in both captivity and the wild (Moscovice & Snowdon, 2006; Gunhold, Massen, Schiel, Souto & Bugnyar, 2014; Gunhold, Range, Huber & Bugnyar, 2015), and of teaching (Humle & Snowdon, 2008, Rapaport, 2011). In addition, wild pygmy marmosets ( Cebuella pygmaea , de la Torre & Snowdon, 2009) have population specific vocal dialects that cannot be explained by habitat acoustics or genetic variation and thus are suggestive of innovations that can spread through a population.…”