Unlike their mainland kin, white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) living on the islands of Jicarón and Coiba, in Panama, habitually use stone tools. This gives capuchins efficient access to invertebrate prey and allows them to incorporate new fruits and nuts into their diets. But, how and why are only a few groups of capuchins in the Coiban archipelago developing this tradition? Across species, we see that tool use is over-represented on islands. What ecological aspects of island living make Coiba National Park the only place in the world where capuchins in the genus Cebus use stone tools?
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