Mar

Monkeyin’ Around on the Devil’s Island

It started as a rumor in the cafeteria of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama: Monkeys on an island in the Pacific were doing something no one had ever seen them do before. But when researchers went searching for these elusive capuchin monkeys, they discovered more questions than answers.

Graphic design for Sidedoor podcast 10.15, Monkeying around on the Devil's Island showing image of capuchin monkey looming over researchers

Tool use is one of the core behaviors that sets humans apart—while we know today that other species also utilize tools, they are few and far between. So, when researchers found a secluded group of capuchin monkeys taking part in their own shell-smashing stone age, the world took notice.

This time on Sidedoor, we take a journey into the jungles of Panama to see what an island full of mischievous monkeys might reveal about our own history.

Side-by-side photos showing Sidedoor crew with staff from STRI boarding a boat

Left: View on arrival at Barro Colorado Island in Panama. Photo by Steven Patron. Right: Sidedoor host Lizzie Peabody and Producer James Morrison with researcher Claudio Monteza on the docks of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Guests

Claudio Monteza, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute fellow and researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Brendan Barrett, researcher at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Meg Crofoot, director of the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. Former Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute fellow

Side by side photos of capuchin monkey and crab shells

Left: Camera-trap photo of a troupe of curious capuchin monkeys. Right: Remains of a crab and the stones used by capuchin monkeys to open its shell. Images courtesy of Claudio Monteza

Listen now

Links and extras

Explore the study of animal societies across species with research samples and fascinating videos from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.
The Barro Colorado Island Research Station in Panama recently turned 100! Learn more about the station’s history of scientific discovery, current projects, and the unique characteristics that have made Barro Colorado Island a mecca for generations of tropical biologists.
Watch footage of a young capuchin monkey utilizing a stone tool and read more about the team’s findings from the Smithsonian Tropical Research institute.
See more photos and video of capuchin monkeys on Coiba Island exploring their surroundings in a conversation with Claudio Monteza.
Investigate the importance of social bonds and status for capuchin monkeys in a short video on troupe grooming rituals from the Smithsonian Channel.

screen shot of capuchin monkey taken from trail camera

Still from video showing capuchin monkey utilizing a stone tool. Image courtesy of Brendan Barrett and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Check out the full video by following us on social media @SidedoorPod.