What mechanism allows behavioral variation like tool use traditions to spread non-genetically?
Answer
Social learning
A crucial aspect of white-faced capuchin adaptation lies in their capacity for cultural transmission, which involves the non-genetic spread of learned behaviors throughout the group. This process, termed social learning, means that if an individual discovers an advantageous technique—such as a new way to process a difficult food source—that knowledge can be acquired by others through observation and imitation. This facilitates rapid behavioral variation and adaptation across the group, allowing the entire population to benefit from a single individual's innovation without waiting for beneficial genetic mutations to arise and become widespread.
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