Foraging and inter-individual distances of bearded capuchin monkeys

Extractive foraging is a skill young capuchin monkeys learn over time. A key unknown is whether unskilled individuals occupy spatial positions that increase their opportunities to learn. We observed the spatial positions of individuals in a group of capuchin monkeys in Northeastern Brazil. To improve our understanding of the relationship between learning by young capuchin monkeys and inter-individual distance, we investigated the associations between the proximity of individuals and their age, activity, and proficiency at extractive foraging. To do this, we used one form of extractive foraging, opening palm nuts, as an index of proficiency at all types of extractive foraging. Our results indicate that, in the subset of the data where dyads consisted of one proficient individual and a partner with any level of proficiency, the distance between individuals was predicted by their foraging activity (i.e., extractive foraging, other foraging, or not foraging). In those dyads, the proficiency of the partner did not significantly improve prediction of inter-individual distances, indicating that spatial proximity of proficient individuals to others does not function primarily to increase opportunities for unskilled individuals to observe extractive foraging. Dyads in which both individuals were engaged in similar foraging activities (e.g., both extractive foraging) exhibited the shortest inter-individual distances. Proximity between individuals engaged in similar foraging activities may result from the spatial distribution of resources or from social learning mechanisms, such as local or stimulus enhancement.

Publication type: 
Articolo
Author or Creator: 
Howard, Allison
Mainali, Kumar
Fagan, William F.
Visalberghi, Elisabetta
Izar, Patricia
Jones, Caroline
Fragaszy, Dorothy
Publisher: 
A.R. Liss,, New York , Stati Uniti d'America
Source: 
American journal of primatology (Print) 80 (2018). doi:10.1002/ajp.22900
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Howard, Allison; Mainali, Kumar; Fagan, William F.; Visalberghi, Elisabetta; Izar, Patricia; Jones, Caroline; Fragaszy, Dorothy/titolo:Foraging and inter-individual distances of bearded capuchin monkeys/doi:10.1002/ajp.22900/riv
Date: 
2018
Resource Identifier: 
http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/417409
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22900
info:doi:10.1002/ajp.22900
Language: 
Eng