Abstract
Wild and captive capuchin monkeys will anoint themselves with a range of strong smelling substances including millipedes, ants, limes and onions. Hypotheses for the function of the behaviour range from medicinal to social. However, capuchin monkeys may anoint in contact with other individuals, as well as individually. The function of social anointing has also been explained as either medicinal or to enhance social bonding. By manipulating the abundance of an anointing resource given to two groups of tufted capuchins, we tested predictions derived from the main hypotheses for the functions of anointing and in particular, social anointing. Monkeys engaged in individual and social anointing in similar proportions when resources were rare or common, and monkeys holding resources continued to join anointing groups, indicating that social anointing has functions beyond that of gaining access to resources. The distribution of individual and social anointing actions on the monkeys’ bodies supports a medicinal function for both individual and social anointing, that requires no additional social bonding hypotheses. Individual anointing targets hard-to-see body parts that are harder to groom, whilst social anointing targets hard-to-reach body parts. Social anointing in capuchins is a form of mutual medication that improves coverage of topically applied anti-parasite medicines.
Highlights
Wild and captive capuchin monkeys will anoint themselves with a range of strong smelling substances including millipedes, ants, limes and onions
In primates, anointing has been recorded in black lemurs (Eulemur macaco) with toxic millepedes[4], black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) with the leaves of aromatic tree species[5,6], orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) with Commelina herbs[7], golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) with tree exudates[8] and owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) with plants and millipedes[9,10]
Benzoquinone secretions from millipedes repel insects[19,20,21] and ticks[22], formic acid from ants repels tick nymphs[23], Piper plant leaves are traditionally used by people in Latin America to treat skin conditions[24], onion (Allium cepa) oils kill cattle ticks (Boophilus annulatus)[25] and contain affective antimicrobial agents[26], and compounds found in citrus fruit peel repel lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum)[21]
Summary
Wild and captive capuchin monkeys will anoint themselves with a range of strong smelling substances including millipedes, ants, limes and onions. In primates, anointing has been recorded in black lemurs (Eulemur macaco) with toxic millepedes[4], black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) with the leaves of aromatic tree species[5,6], orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) with Commelina herbs[7], golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) with tree exudates[8] and owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) with plants and millipedes[9,10] Most notably, both wild and captive capuchin monkeys (gracile Cebus spp and tufted Sapajus spp; we follow Silva, 200111; Alfaro et al 201212 in using a separate genus ‘Sapajus’ for the tufted capuchins previously considered Cebus apella sspp13) anoint with a wide range of materials including plants, aromatic Piper spp. leaves, onion (Alium spp.), citrus (Citrus spp.) fruits, and invertebrates, most commonly ants and millipedes[14]. Similar hypotheses have been offered for anointing in capuchins, insofar as it may create a ‘group scent’[24]
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