Chimpanzees' behavioral flexibility, social tolerance, and use of tool-composites in a progressively challenging foraging problem

Rachel A Harrison,Edwin J.C Van Leeuwen,Andrew Whiten

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.102033

Rachel A Harrison, Edwin J.C Van Leeuwen + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102033

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Abstract

SummaryBehavioral flexibility is a critical ability allowing animals to respond to changes in their environment. Previous studies have found evidence of inflexibility when captive chimpanzees are faced with changing task parameters. We provided two groups of sanctuary-housed chimpanzees with a foraging task in which solutions were restricted over time. Initially, juice could be retrieved from within a tube by hand or by using tool materials, but effective solutions were then restricted by narrowing the tube, necessitating the abandonment of previous solutions and adoption of new ones. Chimpanzees responded flexibly, but one group increased their use of effective techniques to a greater extent than the other. Tool-composite techniques emerged in both groups, but primarily in the more flexible group. The more flexible group also showed higher rates of socio-positive behaviors at the task. In conjunction, these findings support the hypothesis that social tolerance may facilitate the emergence and spread of novel behaviors.

Highlights

Behavioral flexibility is the ability to alter behavior following environmental feedback and to inhibit previously successful behaviors
Juice could be retrieved from within a tube by hand or by using tool materials, but effective solutions were restricted by narrowing the tube, necessitating the abandonment of previous solutions and adoption of new ones
The more flexible group showed higher rates of socio-positive behaviors at the task. These findings support the hypothesis that social tolerance may facilitate the emergence and spread of novel behaviors

Summary

Introduction

Behavioral flexibility is the ability to alter behavior following environmental feedback and to inhibit previously successful behaviors. It can allow organisms to adapt their behavior to suit changing or novel environments and supports problem solving (Griffin and Guez, 2014; Sol et al, 2002). It is, a phenomenon of wide and general significance in understanding behavioral evolution. Griffin and Guez (2014) suggested that behavioral flexibility is likely to encompass a range of abilities, including the ability to inhibit a previously rewarded behavior, to invent novel behavior, and to perform an existing behavior in a novel context. This analysis would suggest that behavioral flexibility may include capacities that are commonly described as innovation (defined as inventing novel behavior and performing existing behavior in a novel context by Kummer and Goodall, 1985) but in addition includes the ability to inhibit previously rewarded behavior

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