Dissertation Research: Orangutan Cultures? Tool Use, Social Transmission and Population Differences

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This project involves a systematic investigation of behavioral differences between populations of wild orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). The widespread tool use among orangutans at Suaq Balimbing (Sumatra, Indonesia) suggests that orangutans have population differences in behavior similar to those found in chimpanzees. Focal animal observation at three established field sites (Suaq Balimbing, Ketambe, and Cabang Panti) will answer the following questions: 1. Is there additional evidence of cultural variation in orangutans? 2. What are the minimum levels of opportunity for invention, expression and social learning that permit cultural behavior? The hypothesis that the opportunities for social learning are the critical factor in the expression of these cultural behaviors will be tested. Improved understanding of the cultural capacity of the orangutan will provide insight into the cultural capacities of the last common ancestor of the great apes and the evolution of culture as a key human adaptation.