Socially learned preferences for differentially rewarded tokens in the brown capuchin monkey (Cebus apella)
Social learning is assumed to underlie traditions, yet evidence indicating social learning in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella), which exhibit traditions, is sparse. The authors tested capuchins for their ability to learn the value of novel tokens using a previously familiar token-exchange economy. Capuchins change their preferences in favor of a token worth a high-value food […]
Choosing and Using Tools: Capuchins (Cebus apella) Use a Different Metric Than Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)
Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) selected canes positioned so that a straight inward pull brought food within reach (M. D. Hauser, 1997; see also record 1997-41347-003). Tamarins failed to retrieve food with canes in other positions, and they did not reposition these canes. In this study, tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) preferred canes they could pull […]
Stimulus control of predatory behavior by the Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica, Sauria, Lacertidae): Effects of familiarity with prey
The authors examine the relative roles of vision and chemoreception and the influence of previous experience with prey on the predatory behavior of Iberian wall lizards (Podarcis hispanica). Experiment 1 compared the responses to visual, chemical, and a combination of visual and chemical cues of a familiar prey by 2 groups of lizards that had […]
Flexible search behavior in domestic cats (Felis catus): A case study of predator-prey interaction
Domestic cats (Felis catus) were administered an object permanence task in a novel and a familiar situation to investigate flexibility (i.e., pause behavior and searching by following a path opposite of that taken by the object when it disappeared) in search behavior. Pause and opposite search were assumed to be independent, equipmbable, and randomly exhibited […]
Prenatal experience and postnatal perceptual preferences: Evidence for attentional-bias in bobwhite quail embryos ( Colinus virginianus)
Previous studies have indicated that concurrent multimodal sensory stimulation can interfere with prenatal perceptual learning. This study further examined this issue by exposing 3 groups of bobwhite quail embryos (Colinus virginianus) to (a) no supplemental stimulation, (b) a bobwhite maternal call, or (c) a maternal call paired with a pulsating light in the period prior […]
Inhibitory Control and Response Selection in Problem Solving: How Cotton-Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) Overcome a Bias for Selecting the Larger Quantity of Food
When presented with a choice between 1 and 3 pieces of food in a type of reversed contingency task, 4 cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) consistently chose the 3 pieces of food and received nothing, even though the choice of 1 piece would have yielded 3. However, in a task in which the tamarins received the […]
Social Transmission of Flavor Preferences in Two Species of Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus and Phodopus campbelli)
Golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and dwarf hamsters (Phodopus campbelli) interacted with a conspecific demonstrator that had recently consumed a flavored food. When given a choice between their demonstrator’s flavor and another flavor, the dwarf hamsters preferred the flavor their demonstrator had eaten. Golden hamsters did not prefer their demonstrators’ diets when the demonstrators were unrelated […]
“Right-Trunkers” and “Left-Trunkers”: Side Preferences of Trunk Movements in Wild Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus)
In this article, the side preferences of feeding-related trunk movements of free-ranging Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) were investigated for the first time. It is hypothesized that a functional asymmetry of the trunk is necessary to perform skillful feeding movements more efficiently. This might be connected with a corresponding hemispheric specialization. Video recordings of 41 wild […]
Strategy planning in cats (Felis catus) in a progressive elimination task
Domestic cats (Felis cans) were administered a progressive elimination task in which they had to visit and deplete 3 baited sites. Cats were brought back to the starting point after each visit to any site whether the visit represented a correct or an incorrect choice. The results revealed that cats organized search as a function […]
Female meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) demonstrate same-sex partner preferences
Female meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are territorial during warm months but demonstrate social tolerance under low temperatures. In spring, females nest together and some pairs participate in communal nursing and rearing of young. Because communal nursing involves significant cooperation, selective pair-bonds may develop between 2 nestmates. Using a choice apparatus, the authors determined that (a) […]