Tool use in wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi).
Tool use has been observed in a variety of primate species, including both New and Old World monkeys. However, such reports mainly address the most prodigious tool users and frequently limit discussions of tool-using behavior to a foraging framework. Here, we present observations of novel and spontaneous tool use in wild black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), where female spider monkeys used detached sticks in a self-directed manner. We introduce factors to explain Ateles tool-using abilities and limitations, and encourage the synthesis of relevant research in order to gain insight into the cognitive abilities of spider monkeys and the evolution of tool-using behaviors in primates.
Department of Anthropology, Iowa State University, 324 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. slind@iastate.edu
Stacy M
SM
Lindshield
Michelle A
MA
Rodrigues
D000818:Animals; D053819:Atelinae / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003364:Costa Rica; D005260:Female; D019370:Observation; D053001:Tool Use Behavior / Q000502:physiology*