Social Learning in Monkeys: How Social Bonds Drive Knowledge Sharing in Capuchins

Every day in Brazil’s Serra da Capivara National Park, wild bearded capuchin monkeys display remarkable learning skills. They solve problems to access food by watching other monkeys in their social group.

A research team from Durham University set up a large box containing food that could be opened by lifting a door or pulling a knob. The scientists aimed to see which monkeys would learn to access the food and how this knowledge would spread within the group.

The study focused on social tolerance, which means understanding who can interact with whom and who can access resources like food or information. The monkeys learned mainly through direct observation. Researchers found that monkeys who groomed each other and had friendly interactions were more likely to learn from each other. Monkeys who had yet to learn the trick were more likely to watch successful males.

Professor Rachel Kendal, a supervisor of the study, noted that bearded capuchins have the largest “toolkit” among monkeys, indicating that social learning helps pass skills through generations. Social tolerance among monkeys facilitated observation and learning, impacting how information about solving the box problem spread through the group.

Status was also crucial in the learning process. If a monkey had a skill but lacked social status, others would not learn from them. Intolerant monkeys prevented others from observing them, hindering learning. Thus, socially tolerant monkeys became the key learners in the group.

This study reveals patterns that resonate with human societies. Just as capuchin monkeys use social networks to share knowledge, humans also rely on social connections to pass down skills, knowledge, and culture, reinforcing societal cohesion.

Future research could examine these learning dynamics in other primate species and animals. Comparative studies can clarify how social bonds and hierarchies affect learning. Integrating these insights with cognitive neuroscience may illuminate the neurological processes behind social learning.

Overall, the findings from Durham University can provide insights into the evolution of cultural abilities in primates, including humans. The study highlights the importance of social learning and tolerance in forming dynamic communities.

The research involved Eduardo B. Ottoni from the University of São Paulo and lead authors Camila Galheigo Coelho and Ivan Garcia-Nisa from Durham University. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.