Vertical bipedal locomotion in wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus)

Author(s)

Falotico, Tiago ; Inaba, Agumi ; McGrew, William C. ; Ottoni, Eduardo B.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PRIMATES; v. 57, n. 4, p. 533-540, OCT 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

When carrying objects, nonhuman primates often show bipedal locomotion. Studies of primate bipedality, however, in both nature and captivity, have concentrated on locomotion on horizontal substrates, either terrestrially or arboreally. No observational or experimental study seems to have looked at non-horizontal bipedality, yet we show here that it occurs often in nature in Sapajus libidinosus, the bearded capuchin monkey. The context is transport of small food items from source to site of consumption, in which the monkeys usually carry handfuls of maize kernels over several meters' distance, both on the ground and in the trees. Most impressively, over a fifth of such bouts are done vertically, when the tree trunk is fully upright. Such vertical bipedality, with or without transport, apparently has not been reported before. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/04818-0 - Tool use by wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus): ecology, socially biased learning and behavioral traditions
• Grantee: Eduardo Benedicto Ottoni
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/05219-0 - Tool use by capuchin monkeys: learning and tradition
• Grantee: Tiago Falótico
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral