Socially biased learning among adult cottontop tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)

Abstract

We presented adult cottontop tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) with a novel foraging task that had been used previously to examine socially biased learning of juvenile observers [Humle & Snowdon, Animal Behaviour 75:267-277, 2008]. The task could be solved in one of two ways, and thus allowed for an analysis of behavioral matching between an observer and a skilled demonstrator (trained to use one of the two methods exclusively). Because the demonstrator was an adult in both this study and the juvenile study, the influence of the observer's age could be isolated and examined, as well as the behavior of demonstrators toward observers of different ages. Our main goals were to (1) compare adults and juveniles acquiring the same task to identify how the age of the observer affects socially biased learning and (2) examine the relationship between socially biased learning and behavioral matching in adults. Although adults spent less time observing the trained demonstrators than did juveniles, the adults were more proficient at solving the task. Furthermore, even though observers did not overtly match the behavior of the demonstrator, observation remained an important factor in the success of these individuals. The findings suggested that adult observers could extract information needed to solve a novel foraging task without explicitly matching the behavior of the demonstrator. Adult observers begged much less than juveniles and demonstrators did not respond to begging from adult. Skill acquisition and the process of socially biased learning are, therefore, age-dependent and are influenced by the behavioral interactions between observer and demonstrator. To what extent this holds true for other primates or animal species still needs to be more fully investigated and considered when designing experiments and interpreting results.

Active sharing of a novel, arbitrary innovation in captive cotton-top tamarins?

“…Regardless of the order of innovation and specific pattern of spread through the group, the mere fact that multiple individuals started to engage in a behaviour that was never observed in the entire colony strongly suggests it spread via social learning. This conclusion is consistent with ample reports of social learning in cotton-top tamarins (e.g., Moscovice & Snowdon, 2006;Humle & Snowdon, 2008;Dillis et al, 2010;Snowdon & Roskos, 2017).…”

Food-Offering Calls in Wild Golden Lion Tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia): Evidence for Teaching Behavior?

“…In cotton-top tamarins, a closely related species, adults use rapidly repeated versions of food calls as food-offering calls, mainly in the presence of infants and juveniles (Dillis et al 2010; Joyce and Snowdon 2007). Adults also transfer food to twins earlier than to singletons, and twins fed independently and used food-associated calls earlier than singletons, supporting the learning hypothesis (Joyce and Snowdon 2007).…”

“…Adults also transfer food to twins earlier than to singletons, and twins fed independently and used food-associated calls earlier than singletons, supporting the learning hypothesis (Joyce and Snowdon 2007). However, begging and food transfers impede learning, and adult withdrawal of food transfers is needed to encourage independent foraging (Dillis et al 2010; Humle and Snowdon 2008; Joyce and Snowdon 2007). The change of context in the use of food-offering calls in golden lion tamarins, from indication of transfer to indication of food source, could also encourage earlier independent foraging, as our results suggest.…”

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

“…However, since only 25% of the descendants of the stick-weaving families showed the behavior, it is also likely that individual differences in interest and attention to demonstrator may play important roles. Dillis, Humle, and Snowdon (2010) found task acquisition of a novel foraging task was based on the amount of attention given to the demonstrator. Gunhold, Massen, Schiel, Souto, and Bugnyar (2014) also reported that naïve wild marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ) in close association with a demonstrator acquired a task more quickly than those who were not in association.…”