HOW BROWN CAPUCHIN MONKEY learned to exchange coins for food?

Stories

Brown Capuchin Monkey Economics

That human intelligence is superior in the living world is almost a truism. Great intelligence—and a unique ability to reason, to experience emotion, to communicate using complex language, and to understand and employ symbolism—are the criteria by which humans are set apart from the rest of the Earth’s creatures. By our own admission, we are the world’s greatest thinkers, and profoundly so.

Brown-Capuchin-monkey-foraging

A brown capuchin monkey forages in a palm tree at the Tambopata Research Center in Madre de Dios, Peru

 

While we do not yet have any direct evidence, astronomers tell us that as many as a million worlds within our own galaxy, the Milky Way, might be inhabited by intelligent life. And with around 400 billion other galaxies sprawled throughout the cosmos, intelligent life is essentially a statistical certainty—a striking and very beautiful proposition indeed. Yet, for the past several hundred years, scientific discoveries have steadily eroded the uniqueness, the exceptionality, and the centrality of the human species and our place in the world. It all started, of course, with the discovery that the sun does not revolve around the Earth—that our humble little planet is but an insignificant blip in a vast universe replete with countless other worlds, with each one precisely, simultaneously, at its center.

Most recently, however, it is the cognitive scientists—those who study the acquisition of knowledge and understanding through thought and experience—that are teaching us that we must rethink the notion of our supremacy and our matchless intellect, right here on Earth. They are doing so not only by teaching sign language to gorillas and chimpanzees—an astonishingly impressive feat on the part of researcher and ape alike, to be sure—but by teaching us how the brains of our more distantly-related cousins, the monkeys, work. As it turns out, those monkey brains work a lot like our own.

The brown capuchin monkey, Cebus apella, is one of several species of capuchins found throughout the Amazon basin, including in Tambopata. The brown capuchin is widely considered among the most intelligent of the New World primates, or the monkeys and tamarins of the American tropics.

Recently, a group of researchers working in a laboratory at Yale University have successfully introduced the concept of currency to their captive brown capuchins. After months of introducing the monkeys to the small, metal disks that would serve as coins, the monkeys learned that they could exchange these coins for highly prized food items such as grapes.

Before long, the monkeys learned how to budget their coins, especially after the researchers introduced another highly-prized food item to the menu: Jell-O. When the price of Jell-O was reduced compared to grapes, monkeys reacted in precisely the way that current laws of economics in humans predict: they bought more Jell-O.

Perhaps the researchers’ most stunning find came after a monkey was observed exchanging money for sex with another monkey. The monkey had learned well the value of money, and most importantly, that it could be used to trade for goods and services—even prostitution!

 

 

Brown Capuchin Monkey

The facial expressions of brown capuchin monkeys belie their human-like intelligence

 

You might ask, Why do monkeys have or need such powerful brains—which appear to have many of the high cognitive functions of our own—if they don’t appear to use them in many of the same ways that we do? Why, if they are able to barter for food and even sex in a laboratory setting using a symbolic currency, do we not see monkey towns and cities dotted throughout the rainforests of tropical America, instead of only human towns and cities?

We can’t yet answer the second question, although it is most likely the result of a combination of factors, including a poorly-developed vocal organ that prevents the use of complex language, limited tool use, a lack of bipedalism, or other factors which we do not yet know. But we can fairly confidently answer the first question, Why do monkeys have such powerful brains?

Although monkeys do not typically do math or read or write, they do live in cooperative groups with complex social structures. Large groups provide protection in numbers, and with large snakes, jungle cats, and birds of prey standing (or slithering or flying) at the ready day and night to make a meal of a monkey, group life has its benefits.

Powerful brains..

But living in a group presents other challenges. For instance, a strict social hierarchy, in which dominant animals feed first at an abundant resource such as a fruiting tree, say, allows everyone to access food without a brawl each time food is discovered by the group. But how best to remember one’s place in such a hierarchy? Evidently, a large brain allows monkeys to know and recognize other individual monkeys, as well as their own and others’ social statuses.

They also use their powerful brains, just as we do, to analyze the feelings and intentions of others, which is done with the help of a large amount of computing power. As we all know, social life and in-group politics are complex, and powerful brains have given primates the tools they need to survive and reproduce in large social groups.

This explanation makes evolutionary sense for humans, as well. Those individuals with more highly-developed brains—which should, on average, make them more competitive in a group setting—should again, on average, reproduce more. Their offspring, in turn, will have bigger, more powerful brains, and so on, until, after many generations, intelligence on the order of that of humans has evolved from our more humbly intelligent ancestors.

brown capuchin

It is beautiful to consider that we share an evolutionary kinship with these amazing, inquisitive, and crafty creatures. The capuchin’s sharp intellectual abilities provide evidence of that kinship.

 

Discoveries in the cognition of non-human primates—like the brown capuchin monkeys of Tambopata—continue to shatter the notions of total human uniqueness and our superiority over the rest of the Earth’s lifeforms. But, instead of viewing this as a demotion, I argue that such amazing discoveries are causing to celebrate. To celebrate the emerging knowledge that we are part of a complex yet beautiful creation in which all creatures share in the history and a future more interconnected and fascinating than we’ve ever before imagined—even if some of our shared characteristics might seem a bit unsavory.

There remains so much more to learn about human and non-human primate cognition. But one thing is already certain: monkeys are smart, and they use their brains in many of the same ways that we do, often to achieve similar or identical ends. In reality, this should not come as a surprise—on the grand evolutionary tree of life, we are very close relatives. But monkey prostitution? I don’t think anybody expected that!

And as usual, sign up for your free trial of the Amazon cam here and help us identify the Amazon wildlife that is on the photos taken by our 20 square kilometer grid of 78 cameras snapping away in the middle of the Amazon jungle. You can start practicing photo identification with our free illustrated plates of 172 Amazon Rainforest Animals

 

by Geoff Gallice 

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Wow what an experience! If you want to be fully immersed in Amazon life in a wonderful , comfortable eco lodge, and not have expectations of a 5 star city hotel (I'm not sure why you would, but some reviewers seemed disappointed it wasn't!) you will love this. You will be in a group, 6 in ours, but you don't all have to do the same activities, you just join another group. Plenty of spaces to chill and downtime if you need it...its hot and humid! There's a fan in the room and I heard the superior rooms have a fan under the mozzie net. Take a torch! We were never bitten, used deet repellent only. They provide rubber boots if you want them, some of the trails were very muddy, but we managed in our walking boots. We loved the open wall to the jungle, despite some bugs, but not too many surprisingly. Sooooo much wildlife, all sorts of monkeys, otters, turtles, caiman, different birds, capybara etc. Luis M was our guide, a local, and he could spot a spider from 5 metres I'm sure... great sense of humour and a wealth of knowledge, loved him. We spent 3 nights 20th-24th April, it rained on a couple of occasions but not much. Perfect holiday for an immersive wildlife experience! Read all

Beautiful lodge in the rainforest, very well maintained and clean. We had a lot of fun and excellent guides. The rooms and facilities were top-notch! Read all

We stayed at Posada Amazonas Lodge in May 2026, and it was a truly unique experience. It’s important to note that the concept is unlike a traditional hotel: the rooms (the lodge has around 30 in total) are built entirely of wood and open completely to the rainforest, with no windows. The walls are about two meters high, and everything is open-air, meaning you can hear your neighbors as well as the sounds of the forest throughout the night. There is a hot-water shower with drainage flowing through wooden beams beneath the floor, and the beds are protected with mosquito nets. The food is delicious and nutritious, and one pleasant surprise was the excellent Wi-Fi connection (Starlink) available both at the lodge and on the boats. The logistics are flawless from the moment you land in Puerto Maldonado, including a short car ride (accompanied by a security company) followed by a forty-minute cruise along the Tambopata River. The staff is incredibly friendly. Our guide, Luis M. (a member of the local community that manages the lodge), was simply outstanding, with eagle-eyed vision for spotting wildlife and always wearing a smile. Tour highlights: Canopy Tower: a 42-meter tower rising above the treetops with panoramic views. We loved seeing the river, the rainforest, and even the distant Andes Mountains on the horizon. We returned at night during a nocturnal wildlife tour, where we spotted tarantulas, white sloths, and tree frogs. Lake Tres Chimbadas: a peaceful catamaran ride (without a motor) where Luis showed us a group of red-bellied monkeys, giant otters, and caimans. The scenery and tranquility are incredible. Trek to the “Great Tree”: a forest hike where we saw deer, jaguar tracks, a three-toed sloth, and more wildlife. At the end of the trail, we reached the gigantic ceiba tree: around 500 years old, approximately 60 meters tall, and with an impressive 11-meter base diameter. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience the true Amazon! Read all

An exceptional experience that truly exceeded all expectations. What impressed me the most is that here they genuinely want to make your stay as comfortable as possible — and that, to me, is what real high-level service is all about. The guide really tries to fill every excursion with emotions and memorable moments, turning simple activities into meaningful experiences. The kitchen team puts great effort into variety and introduces you to Peruvian cuisine — it feels like a small гастрономic journey. Housekeeping works like invisible bees — you don’t notice them, but everything is always perfectly taken care of. Another big highlight is the comfort level: stable electricity and surprisingly good internet both on the way and at the lodge, powered by Starlink. Having this level of connectivity in the middle of the jungle is something truly special. From reception and the bar to the boat driver — everyone is genuinely warm and happy to have you. You can really feel that each person is a small but important part of one big system delivering outstanding eco-tourism service. Bravo — achieving this level of service in the wild is not easy, and it shows. This experience was very valuable for me and my family. I won’t get tired of thanking you for the emotions you gave us. Highly recommended. Dear travelers — don’t hesitate. Go, enjoy the incredible nature and the level of service. This is something you will remember for a lifetime. Read all

We had the most amazing time at Refugio Amazonas for 3 nights, with a huge thanks to our guide Juan Carlos! On the first afternoon we sat down and planned our activities, which we loved! We came face to face with hundreds of birds, tarantulas, leaf carrying ants spanning 10 meter motorways to work and deliver the leaves to the ant house for food, parasites, and even leaves that cause natural dyes on oxidation - we learned so much. Carlos was genuinly interested in showing us everything the jungle had to offer, humorous and caring too. Carlos knew anything and everything about what was around us, pointing out things and creatures that the untrained eye would miss, carrying a telescope at all times for us to see the birds, ensuring we got magical videos on our phones using the telescope! Read all

Many thanks to Refugio Amazonas for an unforgettable experience! Brenda and team were so wonderful and accommodating, and Alan was a great guide. Thank you for a memorable experience! :) Read all

We had an excellent time at Tambopata research center. We are tourists like most who now visit the center, but it’s great to know that you can support research and the local community by visiting a place like this. Our guide for our trip, Esau, was extremely knowledgeable and showed great passion for his job. He described it as a hobby and he would get very excited if you spotted a specific bird or a tree. His specific knowledge about each and every creature in the forest was very impressive and I would recommend asking for Esau to be your guide in the future if you plan to visit. The hotel itself is unique. You are in the middle of the Amazon rainforest - the accessibility to nature is second to none. There are no windows in the hotel rooms. We had bugs in our room, of course, but the mosquito nets keep everything out and, actually, we both slept very well. The bar staff, Harrison, is very knowledgeable with drinks and works very hard. The food isn’t the best you’re ever going to have, but you have to remind yourself you are in the middle of the rainforest and that it takes a 6 hour round trip to get to the nearest town, and so the job that the hotel does in respect of the food is actually intuitive and very good. I would recommend this hotel to my peers and I would love to visit again in a few years time. Read all

We just finished a 4-night stay at Tambopata Research Center and it was the highlight of our entire Peru trip. From the first email with Mariella to being picked up at the airport to the actual stay itself, every step was smooth and every employee was attentive. Having never stayed in a lodge like this (this remote or exclusive), we were a little nervous about what to expect. Our guide, Timo was INCREDIBLE at tailoring all the activities to us. When he found out we liked more adventurous hikes, he took us on walks through swamps, bamboo forests, and little-used trails while always keeping an eye out for monkeys, birds, and insects. His knowledge of the wildlife, plants, and history of the area was beyond what we hoped for and he truly made the experience worth it. Read all

Spent 4 nights in mid April. I had high expectations and was not disappointed. Our guide Carmen picked us up at the airport and we saw monkeys already on our way to the lodge. We had a wonderful stay with exceptional food and activities everyday. Our guide Carmen was great and our itinerary was based on her suggestions however we could decide on what we would like to see. Wildlife is abundant, however, sometimes difficult to spot and photograph due to the low light. It rained a lot despite April being considered a transitioning time to dry season. But come on ... it's the rainforest. The clear highlight are the macaws which you can hear all time and also see from the tower and at the leks. Read all

This trip was the highlight of our travels through peru. The lodge was absolutely 5 stars for everything. The room, food, people. We had a private guide, Allen, who grew up locally and really had deep knowledge of the land, the history, and the variety of plant and animal species in the jungle. His knowledge and passion were invaluable to our experience. There are a variety of tour companies and lodges you can book to visit the Amazon, however, I would only recommend Rainforest Expeditions as they are truly connected to the community and offer high quality first class amazon experience! Read all

We had a truly wonderful stay with Rainforest Expeditions. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, and our guide was fantastic — very knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest. We saw many animals, even from the boat, which made the experience unforgettable. Read all

I just spent 3 days here with my family. The research center surpassed all our expectations. I want to give a special shout out to Carlos who took such good care of us. He went above and beyond to make sure we werr comfortable. And he was always smiling. He made us feel so welcome. We had Erik as our guide who is so knowledgeable and experienced. We learned so much, saw so much wildlife. It really was a dream vacation. Thank you!! Read all

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