Authors: James R Anderson Hika Kuroshima Annika Paukner Kazuo Fujita
Publish Date: 2008/06/24
Volume: 12, Issue: 1, Pages: 55-62
Abstract
Many studies have used mirrorimage stimulation in attempts to find selfrecognition in monkeys However very few studies have presented monkeys with video images of themselves the present study is the first to do so with capuchin monkeys Six tufted capuchin monkeys were individually exposed to live faceon and sideon video images of themselves experimental Phase 1 Both video screens initially elicited considerable interest Two adult males looked preferentially at their faceon image whereas two adult females looked preferentially at their sideon image the latter elicited lateral movements and headcocking Only males showed communicative facial expressions which were directed towards the faceon screen In Phase 2 monkeys discriminated between realtime faceon images and identical images delayed by 1 s with the adult females especially preferring realtime images In this phase both screens elicited facial expressions shown by all monkeys In Phase 3 there was no evidence of discrimination between previously recorded video images of self and similar images of a familiar conspecific Although they showed no signs of explicit selfrecognition the monkeys’ behaviour strongly suggests recognition of the correspondence between kinaesthetic information and external visual effects In species such as humans and great apes this type of selfawareness feeds into a system that gives rise to explicit selfrecognitionThis study was supported by JSPS GrantsinAid for Scientific Research nos 13410026 and 17300085 to KF and 21stCentury COE Program D10 to Kyoto University and by awards from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation to JRA This study complied with Kyoto University’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Primates
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