Capuchin Monkeys Increase Vertebrate Hunting When Fruit Supplies Dwindle

Fieldwork conducted from June 2006 to December 2010 in northeastern Brazil documented bearded capuchins hunting and eating small vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, iguanas, rodents, birds and opossums. Researchers logged over 5,000 observation hours and identified 281 hunting events, with a noticeable increase during dry seasons when fruit was less abundant. The monkeys typically consumed the brains and viscera first, likely to obtain fats and nutrients efficiently.

Experts compare this flexibility to early human ancestors, proposing that meat intake may have helped buffer seasonal food shortages. The study, published in PLOS One, highlights parallels between capuchins and humans, including large brains, tool use and occasional snake consumption, suggesting the primates could serve as a model for understanding the evolution of meat-eating behavior.