Social tolerance and success-biased social learning underlie the cultural transmission of an induced extractive foraging tradition in a wild tool-using primate

Researchers demonstrate that social tolerance and success-biased social learning are critical for the cultural transmission of extractive foraging traditions in wild bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) within Serra da Capivara National Park. The study, using social network analysis and an open diffusion experiment with an induced foraging task, found that while general social tolerance facilitated opportunities for learning, tolerance during task introductions directly influenced the pathways of information diffusion. Capuchins primarily learned through direct observation, showing a bias toward successful males, supporting evidence for cultural transmission in these tool-using primates. These findings highlight the role of social dynamics and learning strategies in both human and nonhuman primate cultural evolution.

Coelho, C. G., Garcia-Nisa, I., Ottoni, E. B., & Kendal, R. L. (2024). Social tolerance and success-biased social learning underlie the cultural transmission of an induced extractive foraging tradition in a wild tool-using primate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(48). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2322884121