How Social Learning Keeps Orangutans Fed
Orangutans learn by watching, then trying The post How Social Learning Keeps Orangutans Fed appeared first on Nautilus .
Orangutans have unique ways of learning to find food, involving both personal exploration and watching others. A new study in Science examines how these two types of learning affect orangutans in Sumatra, Indonesia. Over a span of 12 years, researchers observed 21 young orangutans making 6,700 attempts at feeding. The study found that social learning—watching other orangutans—occurred five times more frequently than individual exploration.
However, the study also noted considerable variation in how well young orangutans learned socially versus individually, with the most skilled learners developing the most diverse diets. Researchers suggest that genetic factors, early development, parental care, and access to social information influence these learning styles. The study's authors, including cognitive scientist Andrew Whiten from St. Andrews University, speculate that these findings hint at the origins of cultural and individual learning in our common ancestors millions of years ago.
The researchers found that social learning often sparked individual exploration, suggesting a close relationship between the two learning styles.
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