抄録
Among the various behavioral innovations reported in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), stone handling (SH) is a form of solitary object play consisting of the manipulation of stones by performing various behavioral patterns. We took a comparative approach to chart inter-group diversity in SH. The occurrence and form of SH was systematically compared in four captive troops of Japanese macaques housed at the Primate Research Institute and Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, and six free-ranging troops living at four geographically isolated field sites in Japan (Arashiyama, Koshima, Shodoshima, and Takasakiyama). At Arashiyama, we took a longitudinal approach to document the diffusion of SH within the group and across generations at several points in time over a 30-year period. Our results allowed 1) to establish the comprehensive repertoire of 45 SH patterns in Japanese macaques, 2) to reveal substantial variability in SH between troops, referred to as SH cultures; 3) to provide evidence for the social transmission of SH, and 4) to show that in several troops, this behavioral tradition has reached its transformation phase, with an increase in the SH repertoire and an expansion of the contexts in which SH is practiced. This research aims to offer new insights into the role primate behavioral traditions might have played in the emergence of hominid material culture. Sponsors: Lavoisier Grant (Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres, France); JSPS postdoctoral fellowship (No. 07421); Grant-In-Aid for scientific research (No. 1907421, Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan).
