Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What Do Capuchin Monkeys Tell Us About Cooperation?, Sarah F. Brosnan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Nature may be red in tooth and claw, but working together with one’s group mates can be an efficient way to increase fitness. Cooperation is common, for example, among capuchin monkeys. These monkeys are not only willing to help others obtain resources, but are more likely to share with individuals who help them. Cooperation can be risky, however, and not surprisingly capuchins are much less likely to cooperate when a partner is able to monopolize the reward. However, they also pay attention to the partner’s behavior; monkeys who share with their partners promote successful cooperation, and thus actually receive more …