To locate food, spider monkeys employ collective intelligence.

It's difficult to find fruit in a tropical forest. Throughout the seasons, fruit trees come and go, and their places frequently shift. Due to their heavy reliance on fruit, spider monkeys must search wisely in order to succeed.

Spider monkeys disperse their search across numerous group members rather than depending on a single animal to recall every tree. According to a new study, shifting social groups facilitates the sharing of dietary information and the development of a robust group memory in spider monkeys.

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh, Heriot Watt University, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) spearheaded the study.

Extended studies in Mexico

Long-term field research was carried out by experts in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Researchers tracked adult spider monkeys on foot for several hours every day between 2012 and 2017.

The crew used portable GPS devices to log subgroup members and locations. Every adult monkey had a core range, or the area they used most frequently while travelling on a regular basis. Seasonal variations in fruit supply caused core ranges to fluctuate.

Spider monkey social dynamics

Spider monkeys live in a fission-fusion society, forming small groups that repeatedly split apart and rejoin throughout the day. Membership and group size fluctuate regularly.

Individual monkeys can explore various woodland areas without continual rivalry thanks to their mobility patterns. Fruit becomes scarce and dispersed during dry seasons. Overlap decreases and core ranges increase.

Fruit becomes more plentiful and accessible during rainy seasons, resulting in reduced travel areas. The dissemination of information within a group is impacted by seasonal variations.

Knowledge exchange across space

Within its own core region, every spider monkey is aware of the locations of fruit trees. Monkeys can share information about fruit trees that are located elsewhere when they briefly come into contact where these ranges cross.

Overlap and separation are balanced. Repeated searching is caused by excessive overlap. Information flow is restricted by insufficient overlap.

An ideal ratio of shared to unique space was suggested by the researchers. According to mathematical theories, overlap should diminish with increasing group size.

Many features of that forecast were confirmed by the field data. Spider monkeys seemed to naturally strike a balance between communication and exploring.

Foraging patterns of spider monkeys

The majority of research on animal networks focuses on pairs. Foraging by spider monkeys involves more than just pairs. Monkeys in groups of three, four, or more frequently occupy overlapping spaces.

The researchers employed a technique known as simplicial complexes to examine these patterns. Instead of just pair ties, these models enable the investigation of interactions at the group level.

Simplicial complexes show the network structure's "holes," or gaps. These holes stand for regions that some group members are familiar with but others are not. Their existence demonstrates complementarity because each monkey possesses unique knowledge that comes together at the group level.

Proof of group intelligence

Numerous recurring voids throughout seasons were revealed by the study. Richer structure was observed during dry seasons, indicating greater complementarity during times of fruit scarcity.

Certain subsets of monkeys were crucial because they linked numerous overlapping groups. These subcategories contributed to the dissemination of information among the larger community.

Instead of measuring centrality at the person level, the researchers measured it at the group level. The findings demonstrated that medium-sized subgroups served as crucial linkages.

Age and sex did not shown to be significantly correlated with information role. Individual characteristics were less important than social structure and movement patterns.

According to the researchers, "the group as a whole can access more foraging trees in a dynamic landscape than any individual could on its own because spider monkeys with different knowledge of their foraging area contribute with different pieces of information to group-level knowledge."

Spider monkey lessons

Spider monkeys have to deal with changing environmental conditions and habitat loss. Maintaining social structures that facilitate information sharing is essential for survival.

Forest fragmentation may weaken group knowledge and disrupt spatial networks. Planning for conservation is aided by an understanding of collective intelligence. Preserving interconnected habitats safeguards both land and the flow of knowledge.

Spider monkeys serve as an example of how collaboration and adaptable social interactions promote achievement in challenging settings.

Spider monkeys can teach us more than just about wildlife. Instead of having central control, many natural systems use shared information to address problems.

Spider monkeys provide an excellent illustration of how movement, interaction, and striking a balance between sharing and exploration lead to the development of collective intelligence.

Future studies on spider monkeys

Future studies can examine how spider monkey mobility and food sharing are impacted by habitat loss and climate change. Modifications to the forest's structure could change how people interact with one another and decrease the flow of knowledge.

It is possible to determine whether cooperative searching enhances survival across species by examining similar social animals. Understanding how movement, space utilisation, and social interaction promote learning could be beneficial to conservation efforts.

Preserving interconnected forests could contribute to the preservation of collective knowledge across generations. Research on group problem resolution in natural systems outside of animals may also benefit from insights gained from spider monkeys.