Biased cultural transmission of a social custom in chimpanzees.

ABSTRACT: Cultural transmission studies in animals have predominantly focused on identifying between-group variation in tool-use techniques, while immaterial cultures remain understudied despite their potential for highlighting similarities between human and animal culture. Here, using long-term data from two chimpanzee communities, we tested whether one of chimpanzees' most enigmatic social customs-the grooming handclasp-is culturally transmitted by investigating the influence of well-documented human transmission biases on their variational preferences. After identifying differences in style preferences between the communities, we show that older and dominant individuals exert more influence over their partners' handclasp styles. Mothers were equally likely to influence their offspring's preferenc

SUBMITTER: van Leeuwen EJC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9931211 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature