EFFECTS OF MODELING AND LINEAGE ON FISHING BEHAVIOR IN THE SMALL-EARED BUSH-BABY (OTOLEMUR-GARNETTII)

Thirty-eight bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii) were subjects in an obser vational learning study. We exposed them to one of three modeling cond itions: (1) fishing model-one that actually performed fishing behavior ; (2) nonfishing model-one that performed as a model in every way exce pt performance of fishing behavior; and (3) no model. We assessed them with regard to latency to approach the fishbowl, latency to make an i nitial fishing attempt, duration of time spent in the vicinity of the fishbowls, and number of actual fishing attempts. Results indicate tha t subjects that were exposed to either fishing or nonfishing models we re faster to approach the fishbowls and spent more time in the vicinit y of the fishbowls than animals in the no-model condition Lineage, i. e., whether or not the animals' parents fished, rather than modeling c ondition, was the best predictor of the latency to initial fishing att empt and the number of attempts made.