Orangutan Cultures and the Evolution of Material Culture

Geographic variation in some aspects of chimpanzee behavior has been interpreted as evidence for culture. Here we document similar geographic variation in orangutan behaviors. Moreover, as expected under a cultural interpretation, we find a correlation between geographic distance and cultural differ...

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Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 299; no. 5603; pp. 102 - 105
Main Authors van Schaik, Carel P., Ancrenaz, Marc, Borgen, Gwendolyn, Galdikas, Birute, Knott, Cheryl D., Singleton, Ian, Suzuki, Akira, Utami, Sri Suci, Merrill, Michelle
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 03.01.2003
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
Subjects
Animal behavior
Animal ethology
Animal nesting
Animals
Anthropology
Behavior
Behavior, Animal
Biological and medical sciences
Bird nesting
Borneo
Branches
Chimpanzees
Cultural Differences
Cultural Evolution
Culture
Environment
Evolution
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geographical research
Geography
Habitat (Ecology)
Habitat modification
Indonesia
Innovation
Insect ecology
Insect nests
Leaves
Male
Mammalia
Modification
Monkeys & apes
Observations
Opportunities
Orangutan
Orangutans
Pongo pygmaeus
Population Distribution
Population ecology
Potable water
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Social Behavior
Socialization
Vertebrata
Borneo
Asia
Sumatra
Indonesia
Vertebrata
Mammalia
Social behavior
Instrumental behavior
Primates
Simioidea
Culture
Pongo pygmaeus
Geographical variation
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Summary:Geographic variation in some aspects of chimpanzee behavior has been interpreted as evidence for culture. Here we document similar geographic variation in orangutan behaviors. Moreover, as expected under a cultural interpretation, we find a correlation between geographic distance and cultural difference, a correlation between the abundance of opportunities for social learning and the size of the local cultural repertoire, and no effect of habitat on the content of culture. Hence, great-ape cultures exist, and may have done so for at least 14 million years.
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ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1078004