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Wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus libidinosus) use anvils and stone pounding tools
Dorothy Fragaszy1, Patrícia Izar, Elisabetta Visalberghi
1Psychology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. dfragaszy@earthlink.net
American Journal of Primatology
|December 8, 2004
Summary
Wild capuchin monkeys regularly use stone tools to crack palm nuts on anvils. This behavior, involving transported stones and long-enduring sites, highlights routine primate tool use beyond great apes.
Area of Science:
- Primate Behavior
- Archaeology
- Anthropology
Background:
- Nut-cracking by wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus spp.) is a known local phenomenon.
- Previous research has documented tool use in primates, but extensive evidence in capuchins was less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and document the extent and nature of nut-cracking behavior in wild capuchin monkeys.
- To identify and characterize the tools and 'anvils' used in this foraging strategy.
- To compare this behavior to tool use in other primates, particularly chimpanzees.
Main Methods:
- Observational fieldwork to witness nut-cracking behavior.
- Systematic survey of the environment to identify physical evidence of tool use (anvils, stone tools, debris).
- Analysis of anvil site characteristics and stone tool properties.
Main Results:
- Capuchin monkeys were observed using stones to crack nuts on stone anvils.
- Numerous anvil sites were identified, characterized by depressions, palm shells, and suitable pounding stones.
- Pounding stones, some weighing over 1 kg, were often transported to anvil sites, indicating deliberate selection and transport.
- Evidence suggests this nut-cracking behavior is common, long-enduring, and widespread, even on mesa tops.
Conclusions:
- Capuchin nut-cracking behavior shows significant parallels with that of wild chimpanzees.
- Environmental factors such as palm abundance and fruit availability likely drive this routine tool use.
- This discovery expands the understanding of primate tool use and material culture, demonstrating its presence in non-ape primates for exploiting key food resources.