1. Behavior systems approach to object play: stone handling repertoire as a measure of propensity for complex foraging and percussive tool use in the genus Macaca
- Author
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Pelletier, Amanda N., Kaufmann, Tatjana, Mohak, Sidhesh, Milan, Riane, Nahallage, Charmalie A. D., Huffman, Michael A., Gunst, Noëlle, Rompis, Aida, Wandia, I Nengah, Arta Purta, I Gusti A., Pellis, Sergio M., Leca, Jean-Baptiste, Pelletier, Amanda N., Kaufmann, Tatjana, Mohak, Sidhesh, Milan, Riane, Nahallage, Charmalie A. D., Huffman, Michael A., Gunst, Noëlle, Rompis, Aida, Wandia, I Nengah, Arta Purta, I Gusti A., Pellis, Sergio M., and Leca, Jean-Baptiste
- Abstract
Stone handling (SH), has been identified in four closely related primate species of the Macaca genus. We provide the first ethogram of SH in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), a primate species known to use stones for extractive foraging. A total of 62.7 hrs of video recorded data were scored from a population of Balinese long-tailed macaques living in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, and a total of 36 stone handling patterns were identified. Behavior discovery curves were generated and showed that the minimum threshold of completeness was exceeded for the SH repertoire in this group. A “foraging substitute” hypothesis for the expression of SH was proposed, suggesting that SH consists of performing foraging-like actions on non-edible objects. We used a “behavior systems” framework to test this prediction, finding that all 36 stone handling patterns could be reliably categorized in a foraging behavior system, supporting the hypothesis that stone handling can be considered pseudo-foraging behavior. Our “behavior systems” approach will serve as a foundation for the future testing of the motivational basis of stone handling. Additionally, a comparison of 39 stone handling patterns performed by three macaque species (M. fascicularis, M. fuscata and M. mulatta) showed overlapping behavioral propensities to manipulate stones; however, the differences suggest that long-tailed macaques might be more prone to use stones as percussive tools in a foraging context. This work could offer insights into the development and evolution of complex activities such as percussive stone tool use in early humans.
- Published
- 2017