Capuchin monkeys show surprising care for baby howler monkeys!

Capuchin monkeys show surprising care for baby howler monkeys!

On Jicarón Island in Panama's Coiba National Park, scientists have documented a striking tradition among white-faced capuchins. These monkeys use stone tools to process food. This practice is not new; More than 450 generations ago, i.e. between 2,400 and 3,000 years ago, capuchin monkeys used hammer stones to crack nuts. The discovery of these ancient tools quadruples the previously known timeline for tool use in non-human primates, according to the website scinexx.de reported.

Scientists began monitoring the tradition of tool use in 2017 using motion-controlled cameras. Particularly notable is an incident in 2022, when graduate student Zoë Goldsborough discovered a male carrying a baby howler monkey. This behavior attracted great interest because it is an atypical act for male capuchin monkeys. Goldsborough consulted her supervisor Brendan Barrett from the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology (MPI-AB) to analyze the observations.

Unusual behavior and social tradition

As a result, four howler monkey babies were recorded, also carried by the same capuchin monkey, called Joker. The researchers observed that over the 15 months, five capuchin monkeys transported a total of eleven howler monkey babies for up to nine days. What is tragic is that four of these babies were found dead; the capuchin monkeys could not provide them with milk. It remains unclear what advantage this behavior brings to the capuchin monkeys, as it could also affect their ability to use their tools.

The research documents a remarkable social tradition in the animal world that involves repeatedly carrying infants of another species, without any apparent benefit. The capuchin monkeys on Jicarón use stones as tools, indicating that boredom plays a role in the development of this tradition. In particular, the continuation of the tradition could pose a conservation problem in Coiba National Park if the behavior spreads to other groups.

Insights into primate culture

A comprehensive study has also examined cultural differences between monkey populations. Scientists from Lausanne and Toulouse observed the behavior of 250 vervet monkeys in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, for nine years. They discovered that group dynamics and social atmospheres strongly influence monkey behavior. Differences in grooming and helpfulness between different clans showed that social norms remained stable in these groups and shaped the monkeys' behavior. Males who moved between groups adapted to new social standards, highlighting the role of peer pressure and social conformity pressures in the animal kingdom, as reported by geo.de documented.

The discovery of tool use and social traditions in capuchin monkeys brings a new change of perspective to the study of primate behavior and their cultural practices. While the crowded evolution of tools and behavior patterns across the animal kingdom provides fascinating insights into the adaptability of these animals, it remains to be seen how these observations will impact future conservation strategies in Coiba National Park.