Species discrimination and concept formation by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) |
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Authors: | Shin'ichi Yoshikubo |
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Institution: | (1) Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 484 Inuyama, Aichi, Japan |
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Abstract: | There are 19 species in genusMacaca and some of them are living in sympatry (Fooden, 1980). Although inter-specific hybrids are relatively easy to produce under artificial conditions, hybridization does not
occur naturally. What is preventing that among the species of genusMacaca?
Three rhesus monkeys acquired a discrimination between pictures with rhesus monkeys and without rhesus monkeys. All subjects
showed positive transfer of this discrimination to new pictures with rhesus monkeys and without rhesus monkeys. A further
test showed that these monkeys could discriminate between pictures of rhesus monkeys and pictures of Japanese monkeys. The
results suggest that rhesus monkeys recognize rhesus monkeys as a class, independent of the actual stimuli such as a picture
or an individual monkey.
The ability to recognize members of their own species and the opportunities for such learning may be an important factor preventing
hybridization among the species of genusMacaca. |
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Keywords: | Species discrimination Concept learning Rhesus monkey |
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