Arithmetic-Like Reasoning in Wild Vervet Monkeys : A Demonstration of Cost-Benefit Calculation in Foraging
Joint Authors
Ushitani, Tomokazu
Tsutsumi, Sayaka
Fujita, Kazuo
Source
International Journal of Zoology
Issue
Vol. 2011, Issue 2011 (31 Dec. 2011), pp.1-11, 11 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2011-08-24
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
11
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Arithmetic-like reasoning has been demonstrated in various animals in captive and seminatural environments, but it is unclear whether such competence is practiced in the wild.
Using a hypothetical foraging paradigm, we demonstrate that wild vervet monkeys spontaneously adjust their “foraging behavior” deploying arithmetic-like reasoning.
Presented with arithmetic-like problems in artificially controlled feeding conditions, all the monkeys tested attempted to retrieve “artificial prey” according to the quantity of the remainder when the task involved one subtraction only (i.e., “2−1”), while one monkey out of four did so when it was sequentially subtracted twice (i.e., “2−1−1”).
This monkey also adjusted his “foraging behavior” according to the quantity of the reminder for a task requiring stepwise mental manipulation (i.e., “(2−1)−1”), though the results became less evident.
This suggests that vervet monkeys are capable of spontaneously deploying mental manipulations of numerosity for cost-benefit calculation of foraging but that the extent of such capacity varies among individuals.
Different foraging strategies might be deployed according to different levels of mental manipulation capacity in each individual in a given population.
In addition to providing empirical data, the current study provides an easily adaptable field technique that would allow comparison across taxa and habitat using a uniform method.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Tsutsumi, Sayaka& Ushitani, Tomokazu& Fujita, Kazuo. 2011. Arithmetic-Like Reasoning in Wild Vervet Monkeys : A Demonstration of Cost-Benefit Calculation in Foraging. International Journal of Zoology،Vol. 2011, no. 2011, pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-499583
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Tsutsumi, Sayaka…[et al.]. Arithmetic-Like Reasoning in Wild Vervet Monkeys : A Demonstration of Cost-Benefit Calculation in Foraging. International Journal of Zoology No. 2011 (2011), pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-499583
American Medical Association (AMA)
Tsutsumi, Sayaka& Ushitani, Tomokazu& Fujita, Kazuo. Arithmetic-Like Reasoning in Wild Vervet Monkeys : A Demonstration of Cost-Benefit Calculation in Foraging. International Journal of Zoology. 2011. Vol. 2011, no. 2011, pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-499583
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-499583