The first report of this behavior in the park's monkeys dates back to 2004, when co-author Alicia Ibáñez noticed the monkeys using stone tools. Researchers went back in March 2017 and placed camera traps across the three islands to catch the monkeys in the act.
The team witnessed the male monkeys break coconuts, crabs, and snails. However, it is unclear why this behavior is not more spread out to other groups on the island. The researchers note that individual monkeys move between groups, so in theory the innovation should spread.
The team suggest that it is possible that entering the Stone Age has a chance component to it, rather than being an expected trajectory for primates. Perhaps, for example, a smarter-than-average individual began using the tools and the others copied him. Given limited food options, tools can increase their chance of survival.
No comments:
Post a Comment