The manufacture and use of tools by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella).

In this report we describe the manufacture and use of tools in captive groups of tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Apparatus designed to accommodate probing and sponging behaviors were introduced into the monkeys' home cage with materials provided for fashioning tools. In one group of 9 capuchins, 6 were successful in manufacturing and using probes, and in a second group, 4 of 5 capuchins were successful in using probes, and 3 in manufacturing them. In a follow-up study with the larger group of capuchins, 8 monkeys were successful in manufacturing sponging tools from paper towels. Our studies provide the first report of spontaneous manufacture of tools in any group of monkeys. The tool-using and manufacturing behaviors observed in the capuchins were similar in form, function, and ontogeny to those that have previously been reported for chimpanzees. Our results provide further evidence that capuchins possess extensive manipulative propensities and emphasize the significance of the normal social environment in the full expression of these propensities. Finally, we spell out some directions future research could take in developing an understanding of the psychological characteristics underlying tool-related behaviors in diverse species. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)