Object-use in free-ranging white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in Costa Rica

Abstract

Chimpanzees and capuchins demonstrate greater varieties and higher rates of tool-use when compared to other non-human primates. Although capuchins have been studied extensively in captivity, data on their tool-using behavior under free-ranging conditions are limited. This is the first long-term field research to systematically study complex object manipulation in capuchins. The aims of this research are 1) to examine the types, rates, and contexts of tool- and object-use in free-ranging capuchins and 2) to determine if free-ranging capuchins' object manipulation behavior is comparable to the behavior exhibited by captive individuals. Data on 3 troops of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) were collected from February 1995 to January 1996 at Palo Verde, Costa Rica. Data were collected using focal animal and ad libitum sampling techniques. Any observed incident of tool-use and object-use was recorded. No tool-use was observed during the 11-month study. Object-use (pound, rub, and fulcrum-use) occurred at a rate of 0.19/hr and made up less than 1% of the monkeys' time (there were no differences among the age/sex classes). The results indicate that free-ranging capuchins do not exhibit the range of tool-using behavior demonstrated by their captive counterparts. This may be the result of differential motivational responses to objects, arboreal lifestyle, absence of adequate tool material, and/or absence of food resources that require extraction involving tool-use.

Traditions in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys

“…Group size at SR is about 18 animals and 19 at PV, though group size for the 2 study groups at LB has ranged from 20-37 (Fedigan et al, 1996;Panger, 1997;Perry, unpubl. data).…”

“…Sex ratio at SR and PV is 1 male to 1.3 females and 1.2 females, respectively (Fedigan et al, 1996;Panger, 1997). At LB, sex ratio is closer to 1 male to 2 females, and immatures constitute about 55% of the population (Perry, unpubl.…”

Exploration and learning in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.): the role of action–outcome contingencies

“…Capuchins exhibit a great variety of behaviours to explore and act on the environment especially while foraging (Fragaszy et al 2004;Perry and Manson 2008;Terborgh 1983). Both wild and captive capuchins spontaneously perform objectobject and object-surface combinations (Byrne and Suomi 1996;Fragaszy and Adams-Curtis 1991;Fragaszy and Boinski 1995;Panger 1998;Visalberghi 1988), tool use (Ottoni and Mannu 2001;Visalberghi and Fragaszy 2013), and gather information about tool affordances in the absence of extrinsic rewards (Manrique et al 2011). …”

Substrate manipulation by <i>Alouatta guariba clamitans</i> in solving a locomotor problem

“…These traits allow nonhuman primates to perform complex behaviors such as tool use, a behavior previously considered to be limited to humans (Panger, 1998). Most instances of manipulating objects as tools have been recorded in apes (Beck, 1975;Goodall, 1964).…”

“…Urbani and Garber (2002), however, warned that several reports of tool use cited in the scientific literature are better classified as "proto tool-use or object manipulation." True tool use involves the detachment and manipulation of both the object of change and the agent of change (the tool), whereas in proto tool-use, only the object of change is detached and manipulated (Panger, 1998;Parker and Gibson, 1977).…”