Abstract
A group of pigtailed macaques was given the opportunity to use a rod to reach otherwise unavailable food. Initial solution by one group member resulted from trial and error but subsequent solutions by others were accelerated by three types of observation learning: social facilitation, stimulus enhancement, and imitative copying. The greater capacity of macaques for observation learning may explain the greater incidence of tool behavior and subcultural phenomena among macaques than among other cercopithecines.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beck, B., 1967. A study of problem solving by gibbons.Behaviour, 28: 95–109.
————, 1972. Tool use in captive hamadryas baboons.Primates, 13: 276–296.
————, 1973a. Observation learning of tool use by captive Guinea baboons (Papio papio).Amer. J. Phys. Anthrop., 38: 579–582.
————, 1973b. Cooperative tool use by captive hamadryas baboons.Science, 182: 594–597.
————, 1974. Baboons, chimpanzees, and tools.J. Hum. Ev., 3: 509–516.
----, in press. Primate tool behavior. In:Antecedents of Man and After, III: Primate Socioecology and Psychology,R. Tuttle (ed.), Mouton, The Hague.
Carpenter, A., 1887. Monkeys opening oysters.Nature, 36: 53.
Chiang, M., 1967. Use of tools by wild macaque monkeys in Singapore.Nature, 214: 1258–1259.
Darby, C. &A. Riopelle, 1959. Observational learning in the rhesus monkey.J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 52: 94–98.
Eaton, G., 1972. Snowball construction by a feral troop of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) living under seminatural conditions.Primates, 13: 411–414.
Hall, K. &M. Goswell, 1964. Aspects of social learning in captive patas monkeys.Primates, 5: 59–70.
Itani, J. &A. Nishimura, 1973. The study of infrahuman culture in Japan. In:Precultural Primate Behavior,E. Menzel (ed.), Karger, Basel, pp. 26–50.
Kawai, M., 1965. Newly-acquired pre-cultural behavior of the natural troop of Japanese monkeys on Koshima Islet.Primates, 6: 1–30.
Kawamura, S., 1959. The process of sub-culture propagation among Japanese macaques.Primates, 2: 43–60.
van Lawick-Goodall, J., H. van Lawick, &C. Packer, 1973. Tool-use in free-living baboons in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania.Nature, 241: 212–213.
Marais, E., 1969.The Soul of the Ape. Atheneum, New York.
Meyers, W., 1970. Observational learning in monkeys.J. Exp. Anal. Behav., 14: 225–235.
Spence, K., 1937. Experimental studies of learning and the higher mental processes in infrahuman primates.Psych. Bull., 34: 806–850.
Stephenson, G., 1967. Cultural acquisition of a specific learned responese among rhesus monkeys. In:Neue Ergebnisse der Primatologie,D. Starck,R. Schneider, &H. Kuhn (eds.), Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, pp. 279–288.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Beck, B.B. Tool use by captive pigtailed macaques. Primates 17, 301–310 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382787
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382787