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Kalan, AK, Hohmann, G, Arandjelovic, M, Boesch, C, McCarthy, MS, Agbor, A, Angedakin, S, Bailey, E, Belongelwa, CW, Bessone, M, Bocksberger, G, Coxe, SJ, Deschner, T, Despres-Einspenner, ML, Dieguez, P, Fruth, B, Herbinger, I, Granjon, AC, Head, J, Kablan, YA , Langergraber, KE, Lokasola, AL, Maretti, G, Marrocoli, S, Mbende, M, Moustgaard, J, N'Goran, PK, Robbins, MM, van Schijndel, J, Sommer, V, Surbeck, M, Tagg, N, Willie, J, Wittig, RM and Kuhl, HS (2019) Novelty Response of Wild African Apes to Camera Traps. Current Biology. ISSN 1879-0445
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Novelty Response of Wild African Apes to Camera-traps.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (990kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Temperament and personality research in humans and nonhuman animals measures behavioral variation in individual, population, or species-specific traits with implications for survival and fitness, such as social status, foraging and mating success [1–5]. Curiosity and risk-taking tendencies have been studied extensively across taxa by measuring boldness and exploration responses to experimental novelty exposure [3,4,6–15]. Here, we conduct a natural field experiment using wildlife monitoring technology to test variation in the reaction of wild great apes (43 groups of naïve chimpanzees, bonobos and western gorillas, across 14 field sites in Africa) to a novel object, the camera-trap. Bonobo and gorilla groups demonstrated a stronger looking impulse towards the camera-trap device compared to chimpanzees, suggesting higher visual attention and curiosity. Bonobos were also more likely to show alarm and other fearful behaviors, although such neophobic (and conversely, neophilic) responses were generally rare. Among all three species, individuals looked at cameras longer when they were young, were associating with fewer individuals, and did not live near a long-term research site. Overall, these findings partially validate results from great ape novelty paradigms in captivity [7,8]. We further suggest that species-typical leadership styles [16] and social and environmental effects, including familiarity with humans, best explain novelty responses of wild great apes. In sum, this study illustrates the feasibility of large-scale field experiments and the importance of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors in shaping animal curiosity.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | 06 Biological Sciences, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences |
| Subjects: | Q Science > QL Zoology |
| Divisions: | Natural Sciences & Psychology (closed 31 Aug 19) |
| Publisher: | Elsevier (Cell Press) |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Mar 2019 09:47 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Sep 2021 09:36 |
| DOI or ID number: | 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.024 |
| URI: | https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10368 |
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