Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques

Coastal populations of macaques maintain rare stone-tool-use traditions for exploiting shellfish. I provide the first examination of macaque tool-use development on Koram Island (N = 69), Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand. Macaques perform simple exploratory manipulations from 1-2 months. Aro...

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Main Author: Tan, Amanda Wei Yi
Other Authors: Michael David Gumert
Format: Theses and Dissertations
Language:English
Published: 2016
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-693472020-03-20T19:14:09Z Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques Tan, Amanda Wei Yi Michael David Gumert School of Humanities and Social Sciences DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology::Behaviorism Coastal populations of macaques maintain rare stone-tool-use traditions for exploiting shellfish. I provide the first examination of macaque tool-use development on Koram Island (N = 69), Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand. Macaques perform simple exploratory manipulations from 1-2 months. Around 1.5 years, combinatory manipulations, including ineffective percussion and object-action sequences predominate until competence is achieved between 2.5-3.5 years. Mastering percussion and relating objects, particularly in three-item combinations (stone-shellfish-anvil vs. stone-sessile oyster), are challenging for macaques. Young macaques engage in tool-related interactions with tool users (e.g. scrounging, observing) preferentially according to tool-users’ skill in addition to social relationships. Their interactions, and social learning opportunities influenced by maternal behaviour and sociality, affected developmental speeds, and social relationships related to similarity in tool users’ hammering patterns and food choices. Understanding how macaques interact with their physical and social environments to develop tool-use skills, contributes to broader discussions of cultural evolution. DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (HSS) 2016-12-19T02:37:42Z 2016-12-19T02:37:42Z 2016 Thesis Tan, A. W. Y. (2016). Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 10356/69347 10.32657/10356/69347 en 294 p. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
country Singapore
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology::Behaviorism
spellingShingle DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology::Behaviorism
Tan, Amanda Wei Yi
Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
description Coastal populations of macaques maintain rare stone-tool-use traditions for exploiting shellfish. I provide the first examination of macaque tool-use development on Koram Island (N = 69), Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand. Macaques perform simple exploratory manipulations from 1-2 months. Around 1.5 years, combinatory manipulations, including ineffective percussion and object-action sequences predominate until competence is achieved between 2.5-3.5 years. Mastering percussion and relating objects, particularly in three-item combinations (stone-shellfish-anvil vs. stone-sessile oyster), are challenging for macaques. Young macaques engage in tool-related interactions with tool users (e.g. scrounging, observing) preferentially according to tool-users’ skill in addition to social relationships. Their interactions, and social learning opportunities influenced by maternal behaviour and sociality, affected developmental speeds, and social relationships related to similarity in tool users’ hammering patterns and food choices. Understanding how macaques interact with their physical and social environments to develop tool-use skills, contributes to broader discussions of cultural evolution.
author2 Michael David Gumert
author_facet Michael David Gumert
Tan, Amanda Wei Yi
format Theses and Dissertations
author Tan, Amanda Wei Yi
author_sort Tan, Amanda Wei Yi
title Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
title_short Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
title_full Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
title_fullStr Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
title_full_unstemmed Behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
title_sort behavioral processes and social influences on the development of stone-tool use in long-tailed macaques
publishDate 2016
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