A new case of fish‐eating in Japanese macaques: implications for social constraints on the diffusion of feeding innovation

Jean‐Baptiste Leca, Noëlle Gunst, Kunio Watanabe, Michael A. Huffman · 2007 · American Journal of Primatology

Summary. Japanese macaques on Koshima island discovered and consumed a new fish species, with 16 individuals feeding in turns. Social factors shaped access to the food: spatial position determined rank order, dominance controlled monopolization duration, and kinship influenced tolerance among nearby feeders. The behavior persisted along maternal lineages, demonstrating how social structure constrains the spread of feeding innovations in wild primate groups.

Read the original

@article{leca-2007-new-case-fish-eating-japanese,
  title   = {A new case of fish‐eating in Japanese macaques: implications for social constraints on the diffusion of feeding innovation},
  author  = {Jean‐Baptiste Leca and Noëlle Gunst and Kunio Watanabe and Michael A. Huffman},
  journal = {American Journal of Primatology},
  year    = {2007},
  doi     = {10.1002/ajp.20401},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20401}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - A new case of fish‐eating in Japanese macaques: implications for social constraints on the diffusion of feeding innovation
AU  - Jean‐Baptiste Leca
AU  - Noëlle Gunst
AU  - Kunio Watanabe
AU  - Michael A. Huffman
JO  - American Journal of Primatology
PY  - 2007
DO  - 10.1002/ajp.20401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20401
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1002/ajp.20401

Countries

Japan

Regions

Asia

Categories

innovation-theory, general-innovation

Added

2026-04-28