Sex differences in tool use acquisition in bonobos (Pan paniscus)

Area of Science:

• Primate behavior
• Cognitive ethology
• Great ape tool use

Background:

• Great apes exhibit tool use with significant interspecies variation.
• Differences in tool use acquisition are linked to social tolerance and structure.
• Previous studies indicate sex differences and a female bias in tool use for chimpanzees and bonobos.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate tool use acquisition in naïve bonobos under naturalistic conditions.
• To examine sex differences in bonobo tool use acquisition.
• To test the social tolerance hypothesis in relation to bonobo tool use.

Main Methods:

• An artificial termite mound was used to simulate natural foraging conditions for captive bonobos.
• Individual tool use attempts, success latencies, and frequencies were recorded.
• Tool behaviors were analyzed in relation to the number of neighbors present to assess social tolerance.

Main Results:

• Bonobo females demonstrated faster acquisition and higher success rates in tool use compared to males.
• Male bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas showed no significant differences in tool use acquisition latency.
• Bonobo and chimpanzee females had quicker success rates than female gorillas, with no difference between female bonobos and chimpanzees.

Conclusions:

• Bonobos exhibit a sex difference in tool use acquisition, supporting a female bias in the genus Pan.
• The social tolerance hypothesis, as measured by neighbor proximity, was not supported in this bonobo study.
• Findings contribute to understanding interspecies and sex-based variations in great ape tool use.