Long-Tailed Macaques Using Stone Tools: Adaptation During Lockdown – Study Findings

• Long-tailed macaques began using stone tools, study finds
• It was during the lockdown that they lost food from tourists
• However, they quickly adapted to survive

The use of stone tools is considered an important step in human evolution. Whether this was two or three million years ago is still debated, but it was an important stepping stone in the development of human civilization to what it is today.

Before we start to worry that long-tailed macaques went the same way we did those few million years ago, it’s important to realize that they’re not the only ones. Although this behavior is very rare, other primates such as chimpanzees, capuchins, and Burmese long-tailed macaques have also exhibited it in the past. Already in 2004, scientists discovered that the local macaques began to use human hair to brush their teeth, which they even began to teach their offspring.

Failed attempts

About five years ago, Elisa Bandini and Claudio Tennie, researchers at the University of Birmingham, tried to train 31 long-tailed macaques to use stone tools to process nuts. However, according to their findings, the macaques were not able to learn it, neither individually nor in a group.

Macaque with baby, illustration picture

However, it was not the only attempt aimed at teaching macaques this skill. Suchinda Malaivijitnond, a researcher at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, after ten years of observing hundreds of these primates on the island of Koh Ped, also recognized that they do not use these tools.

Covid changed everything

But when the covid pandemic hit, the previously well-visited Thai city of Pattaya lost its tourists, as did the nearby island of Koh Ped, where the macaques lost their food source. They were used to tourists bringing them mangoes, cucumbers and nuts. But now they had to learn to provide their own food.

Covid and lockdowns changed everything, illustration picture

When Malaivijitnond visited the island with her team after the restrictions ended, she saw two adult males using stones to open oyster shells. At the beginning of March this year, scientists returned there to systematically look for this behavior. They saw 17 monkeys rather clumsily display stone tools, raise them to shoulder height and throw them at the oyster to break it.

From lack of motivation

Scientists believe that the lack of food motivated the long-tailed macaques to find a new way to get it. This probably led to this behavior. However, they are not sure if they were invented by an individual and the other monkeys aped them, or if several monkeys came up with them at the same time.

On the contrary, it can be said with certainty that long-tailed macaques are very adaptable and change their behavior depending on the surrounding conditions. As the number of tourists on the island has increased again, it will be interesting to see if the local macaques retain this skill or forget it.

Author of the article

Matyáš Hřebík

Enthusiast for mobile phones, smart home and artificial intelligence. In my free time, I like to swim, ride a bike, ski or create websites.

2024-01-01 18:30:00
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