Naturalistic Approaches to Orangutan Intelligence and the Question of Enculturation

Abstract

Field studies have been, and continue to be, important contributors to theunderstanding of great ape cognition-especially with regard to questions of cognitiveecology or the key cognitive challenges in the evolution of primate intelligence. Theyare also critical to resolving a current debate, whether human enculturation boosts greatapes' cognition, because only studies of problem-solving in feral contexts can resolvethe question of whether abilities are higher in enculturated than non-enculturated greatapes. To this debate, this paper offers findings from observational field studies on freerangingrehabilitant orangutans' cognitive capabilities, as revealed in their foodprocessing and arboreal positioning, and on the possible social transmission of thatexpertise. These findings are combined with published findings on wild andenculturated great apes as a basis for assessing the effects of human enculturation ongreat ape cognition. This assessment joins several others in showing that free-ranginggreat apes independently achieve cognition of the same order of complexity asenculturated great apes, in concluding that claims for the effects of human enculturationare likely inflated, and in suggesting that the basis for the effectiveness of humanenculturation is that great apes normally "enculturate" themselves.