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Sex differences in learning in chimpanzees

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf

    (Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota)

  • Lynn E. Eberly

    (School of Public Health, University of Minnesota)

  • Anne E. Pusey

    (Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota)

Abstract

The wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, fish for termites with flexible tools that they make out of vegetation, inserting them into the termite mound and then extracting and eating the termites that cling to the tool1. Tools may be used in different ways by different chimpanzee communities according to the local chimpanzee culture2. Here we describe the results of a four-year longitudinal field study in which we investigated how this cultural behaviour is learned by the community's offspring. We find that there are distinct sex-based differences, akin to those found in human children, in the way in which young chimpanzees develop their termite-fishing skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf & Lynn E. Eberly & Anne E. Pusey, 2004. "Sex differences in learning in chimpanzees," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6984), pages 715-716, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:428:y:2004:i:6984:d:10.1038_428715a
    DOI: 10.1038/428715a
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    Cited by:

    1. Ferenc Molnár Jr & Thomas Caraco & Gyorgy Korniss, 2012. "Extraordinary Sex Ratios: Cultural Effects on Ecological Consequences," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Wibowo, Ferry Wahyu & Sediyono, Eko & Purnomo, Hindriyanto Dwi, 2022. "Chimpanzee leader election optimization," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 68-95.

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