Rise and spread of a social tradition of interspecies abduction

Researchers document the emergence and spread of a non-adaptive social tradition—'howler abduction'—in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator) within Coiba National Park, Panama. Over 15 months, five immature males were observed carrying infant howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata coibensis), a behavior with no clear adaptive function. The tradition originated from a single subadult male innovator and spread to four others in one capuchin group, which is also known for its unique stone tool-use tradition. The study suggests that the same ecological and social conditions fostering adaptive cultural innovations, such as tool-use, may also drive non-adaptive traditions in non-human primates.

Goldsborough, Z., Crofoot, M. C., Jacobson, O. T., Corewyn, L., Rosario-Vargas, E. d., León, J., & Barrett, B. J. (2025). Rise and spread of a social tradition of interspecies abduction. Current Biology, 35(10), R375–R376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.056