Vertebrate predation and tool-aided capture of preys by savannah wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus)

Abstract Vertebrate predation was a vital behavior during human evolution. Some non-human primates, such as baboons and chimpanzees, frequently hunt and consume vertebrate prey. Capuchin monkeys (Cebus and Sapajus) are omnivorous neotropical primates, and although vertebrate prey is not their primary food source, they hunt and consume those opportunistically. Bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) living in semi-arid savannah environments use stone tools to obtain food resources. Still, only one population at Serra da Capivara National Park is known to use stick probes to enhance predation. I present here data collected for two years on vertebrate predation and consumption by two groups of capuchins in this population. Sampling all observed vertebrate predation events, I observed 72 events of predation, with an overall rate of 4.6 events/100h. The most frequent preys were lizards and snakes, followed by birds and rodents, including larger ones like adult rocky cavies (Kerodon rupestris). Although rare, bats were also observed being preyed on by these monkeys. The predation of vertebrate prey, even larger ones (compared to their body size), the use of tools to aid predation, and the high terrestriality degree in the savannah environment, make robust capuchins a suitable model of hominid behavior to understand human evolution, as well as a good comparison with the Afro-Eurasian primate models.