For humans we implicitly assume that the way we do things is the product of social learning
and thus cultural. For animals, this conclusion requires proof. Here, we first review the most …

Recent studies in several taxa have demonstrated that animal culture can evolve to become
more efficient in various contexts ranging from tool use to route learning and migration …

The manufacture of flaked stone artifacts represents a major milestone in the technology of
the human lineage. Although the earliest production of primitive stone tools, predating the …

Within-group variation in sociality has been linked to correlates of fitness across vertebrates.
Individuals that form strong social bonds with a few partners, or are well integrated into a …

Tool use in extant primates may inform our understanding of the conditions that favoured the
expansion of hominin technology and material culture. The 'method of exclusion'has …

Percussive tool use holds special interest for scientists concerned with human origins. We
summarize the findings from two field sites, Taï and Fazenda Boa Vista, where percussive …

In recent decades, researchers have increasingly documented the impact of anthropogenic
activities on wild animals, particularly in relation to changes in behaviour. However, whether …

Tool-use research has focused primarily on land-based animals, with less consideration
given to aquatic animals and the environmental challenges and conditions they face. Here …

Habitual reliance on tool use is a marked behavioural difference between wild robust (genus
Sapajus) and gracile (genus Cebus) capuchin monkeys. Despite being well studied and …

Animals (including humans) use objects to solve problems or accomplish goals in diverse
ways. Sometimes while doing so they achieve a mechanical effect on a target object or …