A recent study published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology sheds light on the attraction to novelty, known as neophilia, among seven species of captive primates. Led by an international team of researchers, the study examined how these species respond to new objects compared to familiar ones, as well as the potential influences of factors such as sex, age, and dominance rank.
A team of researchers from various international institutions —Leipzig University, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Saint Andrews, Liverpool John Moores University, and Universidad Veracruzana— along with the Universitat de Girona (UdG), has published a study exploring the variation in neophilia, or attraction to novelty, among seven species of captive primates. The study offers new insights into how these creatures react to new stimuli in a controlled environment.
The study's findings, led by Dr. Christoforos Souganidis, a student of the Master's in Primatology at the Universitat de Girona, revealed that primates in general were more likely to interact with new objects than with familiar ones. As Souganidis commented, “this suggests an innate curiosity in these creatures and raises interesting questions about how they satisfy their exploration needs in a controlled environment.” Surprisingly, no significant differences in neophilia were found based on the sex, age, or dominance rank of the individuals studied.
Despite initial expectations, no interspecific differences in the likelihood of interacting with new objects were observed. However, significant disparities were found in the overall probability of interacting with objects among the species, with macaques showing a lower propensity to interact compared to bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, and capuchin monkeys.
“These findings challenge our previous assumptions about how diet or social status could influence novelty attraction in captive primates,” explained Dr. Federica Amici, one of the study's lead authors and a researcher at Leipzig University and the Max Plack Institute. “Our results suggest that other factors may be at play contributing to this variation in behaviour.”
“This study represents an important step towards a deeper understanding of primate behaviour in captivity” commented Dr. Miquel Llorente, another prominent member of the team and principal investigator of the Comparative Minds Research Group at UdG. “We hope these findings will inspire future research on novelty attraction in the animal kingdom, particularly to better understand the determinants of neophilia in primates, as well as the need to include more diverse samples and consider other environmental and social factors that may influence this behaviour.”
These findings not only deepen our understanding of the intrinsic nature of curiosity in primates but also offer valuable insights for designing environmental enrichment programs aimed at improving the welfare of these animals in controlled environments. Additionally, this understanding can be extrapolated to the study of primate behaviour in their natural habitat, shedding light on how they interact with their environment and satisfy their need for exploration and novelty, relevant for both captive conservation and wild population management.
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