The Evolution of Primate Cognition

Schaik, Carel P. van

doi:10.1002/9781119118206.ch25

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 24 publications

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“…The research with primates has played an important role, not only as a model to explore which brain areas are involved in memory (Constantinidis & Procyk, 2004; Bernardi & Salzman, 2019) but also for proposing how memory and other cognitive processes have evolved (van Schaik, 2016; Altschul et al, 2019; Primates et al, 2019). However, in the studies with primates, we can see biases as to which species have been tested, with a higher representation of Old World species and just a few New World species, including capuchin monkeys (Wright, 1999; Amici et al, 2010; Altschul et al, 2019), spider monkeys (Amici et al, 2010; Altschul et al, 2019), squirrel monkeys (Roberts & Kraemer, 1981; Altschul et al, 2019); and marmosets (Macphail, 1982).…”

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confidence: 99%

Forgetting curve in spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi): Effects of delay but not the amount of information.

Reynoso-Cruz¹,

Salazar²,

Nieto³

2021

Journal of Comparative Psychology

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The forgetting curve is a phenomenon in which animals fail to retrieve information about an event as time passes. We tested this effect in spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in a task where they had to retrieve a reward hidden in a container after a delay. We combined different delays (0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 s) and different numbers of containers in which the reward could be hidden (2–6) and tested their effects on the accuracy in retrieving the reward. Our data suggest that the longer the delay, the more errors the spider monkeys made. However, a greater number of containers meant only marginally lower accuracy. An analysis of the errors showed that the spider monkeys used spatial information and showed a generalization of responses that depended on the delay; the longer the delay, the greater the generalization and the dispersion of errors. In a second experiment, we tested whether spider monkeys could use visual cues to increase their accuracy. We used the same task with an apparatus with 6 containers and 30 s of delay. Three colors were used as cues, with each color associated with 1 pair of containers. The data showed that the colors did not increase the accuracy of responses but reduced the generalization of the errors. The findings resembled previous findings supporting dynamic field theory, but more investigation is necessary to understand the brain areas and the neural dynamics of spider monkeys to explain and predict their behavior.

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