Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Behavioural biology

Stones that could cause ripples

Nature volume 539, pages 34–35 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Monkeys have been observed pounding stones and unintentionally forming sharp-edged, tool-like fragments. This deliberate breakage raises questions about the evolution of intentional stone modification. See Letter p.85

Of the non-human primates whose manipulative skills and tool use have been studied, capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) seem to be the most nimble. Although it has been known for more than 25 years that capuchins use tools1, a key development in our understanding of their skills was the discovery2 that, like chimpanzees, capuchins use stone tools for tasks such as cracking open nuts. On page 85, Proffitt et al.3 report an interesting stone-breaking behaviour observed among wild capuchins of Serra da Capivara National Park in eastern Brazil.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Capuchin monkeys can deliberately break stones.

T. Falótico

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Visalberghi, E. Folia Primatol. 54, 146–154 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Fragaszy, D. M., Izar, P., Visalberghi, E., Ottoni, E. B. & de Oliveira, M. G. Am. J. Primatol. 64, 359–366 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Proffitt, T. et al. Nature 539, 85–88 (2016).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Harmand, S. et al. Nature 521, 310–315 (2015).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lahaye, C. et al. J. Archaeol. Sci. 40, 2840–2847 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Boëda, E. et al. Antiquity 88, 927–941 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Aimola, G., Andrade, C., Mota, L. & Parenti, F. J. Lith. Stud. 1, 5–24 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lahaye, C. et al. Quat. Geochronol. 30, 445–451 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Parenti, F. Quat. Geochronol. 30, 48–53 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pobiner, B. Am. Sci. 104, 110–117 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Carlisle, E. M. Ciba Found. Symp. 121, 123–139 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Haslam, M. et al. Curr. Biol. 26, R521–R522 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hélène Roche is in the UMR 7055 (PRETECH) of the CNRS, Paris-Nanterre University, 92023 Nanterre, France.,

    Hélène Roche

Authors
  1. Hélène Roche
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hélène Roche.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Behavioural biology: Archaeology meets primate technology

Archaeology: Tools go back in time

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Roche, H. Stones that could cause ripples. Nature 539, 34–35 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19484

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19484

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing