One population of white-faced capuchin monkeys in Panama has entered the Stone Age, according to researchers. The monkeys are the fourth species of primates to use stone tools to break nuts and shellfish, following us.
The group lives on Jicarón island, a small island off the coast of Panama that is part of the Coiba National Park, according to New Scientist. The national park consists of three islands, all of which are home to capuchin monkeys. However, only the monkeys on Jicarón have begun to use tools – and not all of the capuchins. Only males in a specific region of the island use them. The findings are currently available on BioArXiv.
“We were surprised that this behavior appears to be geographically localised,” Max Planck Institute for Ornithology lead author Brendan Barrett told New Scientist.
The park’s monkeys were first observed using stone tools in 2004, according to co-author Alicia Ibáez. In March 2017, researchers returned to the three islands and set up camera traps to capture the monkeys in the act.
The male monkeys were observed breaking coconuts, crabs, and snails. It is unclear, however, why this behavior has not spread to other groups on the island. Individual monkeys move between groups, so the innovation should spread, according to the researchers.
The researchers believe that primates may have entered the Stone Age by chance rather than following a predetermined path. Perhaps a smarter-than-average individual started using the tools, and others followed suit. When there are few food options, tools can help them survive.
More research and observations of these monkeys, the team hopes, will help explain what is going on.
The white-faced capuchins are the second species to enter the Stone Age in North America. Another group of capuchins, found in South America, may have been using stone tools for 700 years. Macaques in Thailand and chimps in West Africa are the other two species.
[H/T: New Scientist]
Leave a Reply