Synchronized practice helps bearded capuchin monkeys learn to extend attention while learning a tradition.

Culture extends biology in that the setting of development shapes the traditions that individuals learn, and over time, traditions evolve as occasional variations are learned by others. In humans, interactions with others impact the development of cognitive processes, such as sustained attention, that shape how individuals learn as well as what they learn. Thus, learning itself is impacted by culture. Here, we explore how social partners might shape the development of psychological processes impacting learning a tradition. We studied bearded capuchin monkeys learning a traditional tool-using skill, cracking nuts using stone hammers. Young monkeys practice components of cracking nuts with stones for years before achieving proficiency. We examined the time course of young monkeys' activity with nuts before, during, and following others' cracking nuts. Results demonstrate that the onset of others' cracking nuts immediately prompts young monkeys to start handling and percussing nuts, and they continue these activities while others are cracking. When others stop cracking nuts, young monkeys sustain the uncommon actions of percussing and striking nuts for shorter periods than the more common actions of handling nuts. We conclude that nut-cracking by adults can promote the development of sustained attention for the critical but less common actions that young monkeys must practice to learn this traditional skill. This work suggests that in nonhuman species, as in humans, socially specified settings of development impact learning processes as well as learning outcomes. Nonhumans, like humans, may be culturally variable learners.

Body mass in wild bearded capuchins, (Sapajus libidinosus): Ontogeny and sexual dimorphism.

Body mass is fundamental for understanding growth, health, and aspects of life history but records of body mass are rarely available for wild primates. We documented the body mass of all individuals in a group of wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) at annual intervals for seven consecutive years. Sexual dimorphism in body mass was more pronounced than reported in the literature for adults in this genus: females in our sample were relatively light (average 2.1 kg), while males had average body mass (3.5 kg). Three other notable differences between males and females were evident. First, males grew more rapidly and for a longer period than females. We estimate that males attained full body mass at 9.8 years of age and females at 7.5 years. Second, males showed greater inter-individual variability than females in growth rates and adult mass. Third, males gained about 20% above their baseline body mass upon becoming alpha, and lost that amount when they lost that status, but body mass in females was unrelated to social status. We also report preliminary data on mass and age of natal males at dispersal and mass and age at first reproduction for one female. The pattern of sexual dimorphism in ontogeny and inter-individual variability in body mass in bearded capuchins suggests different competitive risks in the two sexes commensurate with a mating system characterized by female choice of mates in multi-male, multi-female groups. Am. J. Primatol. 78:473-484, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Kinetics of bipedal locomotion during load carrying in capuchin monkeys.

Facultative bipedalism during load transport in nonhuman primates has been argued to be an important behavior potentially leading to the evolution of obligate, extended limb bipedalism. Understanding the biomechanics of such behavior may lead to insights about associated morphology, which may translate to interpretation of features in the fossil record. Some populations of bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) spontaneously carry heavy loads bipedally during foraging activities. This study provides the first data on all three components of ground reaction force for spontaneous bipedalism during load carriage in a nonhuman primate. Five individual S. libidinosus (mean body mass = 2.4 kg ± 0.96) were videorecorded during bipedalism while carrying a stone (0.93 kg) under natural conditions. A force plate was embedded in the path of the monkeys. Spatiotemporal and force data for all three components of the ground reaction force were recorded for 28 steps. Capuchins exhibited a mean vertical peak force per total weight (Vpk) for the hindlimb of 1.19 (sd = 0.13), consistent with those of unloaded capuchins in the laboratory and for other bipedal primates, including humans. Vertical force records suggest that capuchins, along with most nonhuman primates, maintain a relatively compliant leg during both unloaded and loaded locomotion. Like all other primates, loaded capuchins maintained laterally (outward) directed medio-lateral forces, presumably to stabilize side-to-side movements of the center of mass. Medio-lateral forces suggest that at near-running speeds dynamic stability diminishes the need to generate high lateral forces. Vertical force traces exhibited a measurable impact spike at foot contact in 85% of the steps recorded. An impact spike is common in human walking and running but has not been reported in other bipedal primates. This spike in humans is thought to lead to bone and cartilage damage. The earliest biped may have experienced similar impact spikes during bipedal locomotion, requiring compensatory behaviors or anatomical features.

What is teaching? A clear, integrative, operational definition for teaching is still needed.

The study of teaching indeed suffers from multiple approaches built upon disparate views. Kline does an excellent job in explaining the problem, but does not go all the way towards solving it. We suggest that a better operational definition, which could be utilized both in human studies and animal studies, is needed to integrate the field truly.