Monkey also knows how to share with others

Researchers from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have recently demonstrated that capuchin monkeys are just like humans consider giving as a satisfying experience. This finding follows a recent study in humans that recorded activity in the reward center of the brain after humanitarian charity.

Research shows that empathy in sensing another person's desire has motivated sharing - an outstanding trait in primates.

Frans de Waal - director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes Research Center - together with Kristi Leimgruber, a research specialist, directed a research team to exchange food vouchers with 8 children when the female cap was mature. Each capuchin monkey is paired with one of its relatives, or it may be a familiar female but not with them from the same social group or it may be a complete alien (belonging to a group other).

New evidence shows that capuchin monkeys are like humans who consider giving as a rewarding experience.(Photo: iStockphoto / Robert Deal)

The capuchin monkeys were then allowed to choose two food coupons: a selfish choice (a monkey cap to receive an apple slice) and a choice of prosocial (both capuchins are ok) one slice of appleMost of them choose to support society when paired with a relative or a monkey, but they do not do so when paired with strangers.

De Waal said: 'The majority of capuchin monkeys have a choice to support socialism, meaning that seeing another monkey getting food has satisfied or rewarded them. We believe that social support acts are based on empathy. Empathy increases in both humans and animals that are closely social. In our study, closer individuals have the choice to support more sociality. They tend to be interested in groups of individuals they know '.

De Waal and his research team will then study to determine whether giving donations reward capuchins because they can be eaten together or not; and whether the monkey simply likes to look at another monkey enjoying food.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Yerkes National Institutes of Health.

Refer:

Frans BM de Waal;Kristin Leimgruber;Amanda R. Greenberg.Giving is self-rewarding for monkeys.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, [link]