Similarity in food cleaning techniques within matrilines in wild vervet monkeys.

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_E2B335EB08D5
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Similarity in food cleaning techniques within matrilines in wild vervet monkeys.
Journal
PLoS One
Author(s)
van de Waal E., Krützen M., Hula J., Goudet J., Bshary R.
ISSN
1932-6203 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1932-6203
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2012
Volume
7
Number
4
Pages
e35694
Language
english
Abstract
Social learning and the formation of traditions rely on the ability and willingness to copy one another. A central question is under which conditions individuals adapt behaviour to social influences. Here, we demonstrate that similarities in food processing techniques emerge on the level of matrilines (mother-offspring) but not on the group level in an experiment on six groups of wild vervet monkeys that involved grapes covered with sand. Monkeys regularly ate unclean grapes but also used four cleaning techniques more similarly within matrilines: rubbing in hands, rubbing on substrate, open with mouth, and open with hands. Individual cleaning techniques evolved over time as they converged within matrilines, stabilised at the end and remained stable in a follow-up session more than one year later. The similarity within matrilines persisted when we analyzed only foraging events of individuals in the absence of other matriline members and matriline members used more similar methods than adult full sisters. Thus, momentary conversion or purely genetic causation are unlikely explanations, favouring social learning as mechanism for within matriline similarities. The restriction of traditions to matriline membership rather than to the group level may restrict the development of culture in monkeys relative to apes or humans.
Keywords
Animals, Cercopithecus aethiops/physiology, Feeding Behavior/physiology, Female, Food, Hominidae, Humans, Learning/physiology, Male, Sex Factors, Social Behavior
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
17/01/2013 16:30
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:06
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