Susan Perry: UCLA Anthropology

White-faced capuchin monkeys are best known for their innovation and traditions in the domain of social
communication; however, social learning appears to play a role in the acquisition of their foraging techniques
as well. In this talk, I explore several lines of evidence indicating social influence in food processing
techniques. Several foods are processed differently at different sites that are similar both genetically and
ecologically. Within social groups, those monkeys who spend more time together are also more likely to
share the same foraging technique. There is also evidence that monkeys bias their social learning
opportunities to preferentially observe models who are foraging on rare or hard-to-process foods, thus
providing useful information on what to eat and how to eat it. Developmental studies yield evidence for a
conformity bias in use of food processing techniques, even for individuals who have already learned both of
two possible techniques.