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Monkeys and apes: are their cognitive skills really so different?
Federica Amici1, Filippo Aureli, Josep Call
1Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK. call@eva.mpg.de
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|September 21, 2010
Summary
Cognitive skills in apes and monkeys are not clearly distinct. Performance varied by task and socioecology, particularly fission-fusion dynamics, suggesting complex evolutionary drivers for primate cognition.
Area of Science:
- Comparative psychology
- Primate cognition
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Hypotheses on cognitive differences between monkeys and apes lack systematic interspecific comparisons.
- Understanding primate cognitive evolution requires direct interspecific testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly compare cognitive performance across four great ape and three monkey species.
- To test hypotheses explaining cognitive skill differences based on phylogeny and socioecology.
- To investigate the role of social structure, like fission-fusion dynamics, in shaping cognitive abilities.
Main Methods:
- Subjects: Four great ape species and three monkey species (spider monkeys, capuchins, long-tailed macaques).
- Tasks: Object location memory, object displacement tracking (transposition), and obtaining out-of-reach rewards (support).
- Analysis: Interspecific comparisons and cluster analysis based on task performance and socioecological factors.
Main Results:
- No overall clear-cut cognitive distinction between monkeys and apes; performance varied significantly across tasks.
- Differences in tracking object displacements were observed between monkeys and apes.
- Interspecific differences in memory and support tasks were better explained by socioecological factors, especially fission-fusion dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Primate cognitive skills are not solely determined by broad phylogenetic categories like monkeys vs. apes.
- Socioecological factors, particularly fission-fusion dynamics, play a crucial role in shaping specific cognitive abilities.
- Comparative studies using multiple tasks and species are essential for understanding the evolution of cognitive skills.
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