Infant Tufted Capuchin Monkeys’ Behaviour with Novel Foods: Opportunism, Not Selectivity
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Amy Galloway Ph.D., Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
Abstract: To determine whether young capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella, selectively interacted with
others concerning novel foods, 11 infants (4.5–12 months) living in two groups were observed following presentation of familiar or novel foods. Foods were presented either to the whole group or to infants in a section of the home cage to which only they had access. Infants showed more frequent interest in others’ food and picked up foods more frequently when foods were novel, and they tended to eat novel foods more frequently than familiar foods. The pattern was the same whether the foods were presented to the group or only to infants. Infants expressed interest in others’ novel foods equally often before and after sampling these foods themselves. The frequency of interest in others’ food correlated positively with age. It is concluded that acceptance of novel foods in these monkeys occurs readily regardless of socially provided information about edibility. Social interactions do not appear to make important contributions to acceptance of novel foods by infant capuchin monkeys.
Infant Tufted Capuchin Monkeys’ Behaviour with Novel Foods: Opportunism, Not Selectivity
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Created on 12/19/2011
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Fragaszy, D. M., Visalberghi, E., & Galloway, A. T. (1997). Infant tufted capuchin monkeys' behaviour with novel foods: Opportunism, not selectivity. Animal Behaviour, 53(6): 1337-1343. (June 1997) Published by Elsevier (ISSN: 1095-8282).
- Language: English
- Date: 1997