| Records |
| Author |
Whiten, A.; Horner, V.; de Waal, F.B.M. |
| Title |
Conformity to cultural norms of tool use in chimpanzees |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
437 |
Issue |
7059 |
Pages |
737-740 |
| Keywords |
Aging/physiology; Animals; Culture; Feeding Behavior/physiology; Female; Pan troglodytes/*physiology/*psychology; *Social Conformity; Technology; Time Factors |
| Abstract |
Rich circumstantial evidence suggests that the extensive behavioural diversity recorded in wild great apes reflects a complexity of cultural variation unmatched by species other than our own. However, the capacity for cultural transmission assumed by this interpretation has remained difficult to test rigorously in the field, where the scope for controlled experimentation is limited. Here we show that experimentally introduced technologies will spread within different ape communities. Unobserved by group mates, we first trained a high-ranking female from each of two groups of captive chimpanzees to adopt one of two different tool-use techniques for obtaining food from the same 'Pan-pipe' apparatus, then re-introduced each female to her respective group. All but two of 32 chimpanzees mastered the new technique under the influence of their local expert, whereas none did so in a third population lacking an expert. Most chimpanzees adopted the method seeded in their group, and these traditions continued to diverge over time. A subset of chimpanzees that discovered the alternative method nevertheless went on to match the predominant approach of their companions, showing a conformity bias that is regarded as a hallmark of human culture. |
| Address |
Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK. a.whiten@st-and.ac.uk |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1476-4687 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16113685 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial  |
163 |
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| Author |
Bonnie, K.E.; de Waal, F.B.M. |
| Title |
Affiliation promotes the transmission of a social custom: handclasp grooming among captive chimpanzees |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Primates |
Abbreviated Journal |
Primates |
| Volume |
47 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
27-34 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Zoo/*physiology; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Cultural Evolution; Grooming/*physiology; Observation; Pan troglodytes/*physiology; *Social Behavior |
| Abstract |
Handclasp grooming is a unique social custom, known to occur regularly among some, but not all populations of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). As with other cultural behaviors, it is assumed that this distinctive grooming posture is learned socially by one individual from another. However, statistical comparisons among factors thought to influence how a behavior spreads within a group have never, to our knowledge, been conducted. In the present study, the origination and spread of handclasp grooming in a group of captive chimpanzees was followed throughout more than 1,500 h of observation over a period of 12 years. We report on the frequency, bout duration, and number and demography of performers throughout the study period, and compare these findings to those reported for wild populations. We predicted that dyads with strong affiliative ties, measured by time spent in proximity to and grooming one another, were likely to develop a handclasp grooming partnership during the study period. A quadratic assignment procedure was used to compare correlations among observed frequencies of grooming and proximity with handclasp grooming in all possible dyads within the group. As predicted, the formation of new handclasp grooming dyads was positively correlated with the rate of overall grooming and proximity within a dyad. In addition, in nearly all dyads formed, at least one individual had been previously observed to handclasp groom. We concluded that affiliation and individual experience determines the transmission of handclasp grooming among captive chimpanzees. |
| Address |
Department of Psychology, Emory University, and Living Links Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA 30329, USA. kebonni@emory.edu |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0032-8332 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16142425 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
161 |
| Permanent link to this record |
