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Data from: Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) strategically manipulate their environment to deny conspecifics access to food

Kaufhold, Stephan1; Sánchez-Amaro, Alejandro2; Tan, Jingzhi3; Fernandez-Navarro, Sofia4; Atencia, Rebeca4; Rossano, Federico1

Research facility: University of California, San Diego
Published Aug 05, 2024 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.5tb2rbp9w

Data files

Aug 05, 2024 version files 63.64 KB

Abstract

Humans modify their environment to grant or prevent others’ access to valuable resources, for example by using locks. We tested whether sanctuary-living chimpanzees (N=10) would flexibly modify their environment to either allow or deny a dominant conspecific access to a shared food source by giving them the option to change a food reward’s pathway prior to releasing it. The food could end up in one of two locations: one was accessible to both the subject and a dominant conspecific, the other one was only accessible to the subject. We further manipulated the extent of inhibitory control needed for modifying the pathway. Our subjects used the apparatus competitively to monopolize food but changed the pathway less often in trials with high inhibitory demands. We further show how inhibitory task demands in a social context influence chimpanzees’ future planning. Our results show that chimpanzees will strategically manipulate their environment to maximize their own and deny a dominant conspecific access to food.