Resolução de problemas por meio do uso de ferramentas em um grupo de macacos-prego (Sapajus sp.) de um pequeno fragmento florestal urbano.
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2026
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Tool use in capuchin monkeys has been documented in several studies. The most common form of tool use is the use of stones to crack open encapsulated fruits, although the use of probes to access invertebrates and water has also been reported, albeit less frequently. Tool use in capuchin monkeys begins early in life, but the skills required for tool manipulation depend on learning, usually acquired through the observation of older conspecifics. Over time, juvenile individuals can improve their tool-use skills and increase their proficiency. In this study, we evaluated the ability of a group of capuchin monkeys (Sapajus sp.) living under semi-free-ranging conditions to extract a food reward from a transparent acrylic compartment. This group inhabits the Parque Natural Municipal Bosque dos Macacos, located in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, southern Brazil. The experiment was conducted between July and December 2025. To successfully solve the task, the monkeys needed to use sticks or wooden rods at least 10 cm in length. During the experiment, we conducted direct behavioral observations and video recordings for subsequent analysis of variables of interest. All visitation events and the different forms of interaction with both the box and the tools were recorded. Chi-square, G-test, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between sex-age classes and the frequency of visits to the problem box, the frequency of different types of interaction with the box, and the duration of interactions with the box. Consistent with previous studies on tool use, we observed a sex-age bias in tool use, with males and juvenile individuals showing higher frequencies of tool use. We also found a relationship between sex and the amount of time individuals invested in exploring the box, with males spending more time interacting with it than females. Although the monkeys explored the problem box regularly (an average of 18 interactions per day), they demonstrated rare tool use in their daily activities, as well as a low success rate in solving the problem box using probes, with only four successful events performed by two juvenile males out of a total of 405 visits to the box.
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Dissertação apresentada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Neotropical, do Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza da Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana, como requisito parcial à obtenção do título de Mestre em Biodiversidade Neotropical.
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field experiment, juvenile primate, probe use, sex bias, age bias, problem-solving, problem box, urban.