Science· 2026Q1
How 8 years of social and individual learning interact to shape ecological competence in orangutans
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Wild orangutans with higher social and individual learning propensities developed broader diets by independence, with social learning compensating for low individual learning.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Social learning was five times more frequent than individual learning in wild orangutans.
- Higher social and individual learning propensities correlated with broader diet profiles at independence.
- Social learning compensated for low individual learning in developing diet breadth.
- The interaction of social and individual learning over 8 years shapes orangutan ecological competence.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Cultural learning permeates human skill and knowledge acquisition. To understand its importance for nonhuman apes, we analyzed just under 7000 records of behavioral bouts of social and individual learning across wild orangutans’ 8-year dependency period to assess their combined effects on ecological competence, which is crucial for independent survival. Social learning was five times more frequent than individual learning and influenced subsequent learning for hours. Immature orangutans varied substantially in their learning propensities, and those with heightened social and individual learning propensities developed the most expansive diet profiles at independence. Furthermore, social learning had a compensatory effect on diet profile development when individual learning was low. Our findings advance the science of cultural evolution by showing how multiyear social and individual learning interact to shape great apes’ broad ecological competence.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Social Psychology
Social PsychologyPsychology