We are thrilled to announce the publication of our latest collaborative research in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Our team members, Tiago Falótico and Henrique P. Rufo, co-authored this study, which offers new insights into the cognitive and social lives of wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus).
The study, titled “Social cues on stone tools outweigh raw material properties in wild primates,” investigates how capuchins choose their tools. By conducting a series of experiments across two populations, we explored whether these primates prioritize the physical quality of a stone (such as hardness) or social information (evidence that a tool was successfully used by others).
Our findings demonstrate that while capuchins can distinguish material properties, they consistently prioritize tools with clear signs of prior nut-cracking activity. This “social cue” outweighs raw material properties in their decision-making process. This research highlights the complex interplay between ecological constraints and socially mediated information, providing compelling evidence that cultural transmission is a fundamental pillar of technological traditions in wild primates.
You can read the full, open-access article here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2076/20260416/482681/Social-cues-on-stone-tools-outweigh-raw-material
