LATERAL BIAS FOR ROTATIONAL BEHAVIOR IN TUFTED CAPUCHIN MONKEYS (CEBUS-APELLA)

This research examined lateral bias for rotational behavior in tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). A symmetrical distribution of rotatio nal bias was noted, with approximately equal numbers of subjects prefe rring to turn to the right and to the left. As a group, adults did not exhibit a lateral rotational bias. Immatures preferentially rotated t o the left. Across subjects, the strength of rotational bias was posit ively related to the incidence of right-eyed looking. Rotational bias was not related to hand preference. The finding of analogous age-depen dent patterns of rotational bias in capuchins and in humans suggests t hat the rotational behavior of Cebus apella can be used to model an as ymmetric response pattern that has been linked to development in Home sapiens.