Social Conventions in Wild White‐faced Capuchin Monkeys

Ten researchers collaborated in a longterm study of social conventions in wild whitefaced capuchin monkeys, involving examination of a 19,000hour combined data set collected on 13 social groups at four study sites in Costa Rica over a 13year period. Five behavior patterns qualified as social traditions, according to the studys criteria: handsniffing, sucking of body parts, and three types of games. Some conventions were independently invented in virtually identical form at multiple sites. The extinction of several conventions was observed during the course of the study; it appears that they rarely last longer than ten years. It is hypothesized that the monkeys are using these group or cliquespecific social conventions to test the quality of their social relationships.