Behavioural Processes 109 (2014) 111–120 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Behavioural Processes jo ur nal homep ag e: www.elsevier.com/locate/behavproc Limited social learning of a novel technical problem by spotted hyenas Sarah Benson-Amram a,∗ , Virginia K. Heinen b,c , Amelia Gessner b , Mary L. Weldele d , Kay E. Holekamp b a Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071 USA b Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 USA c Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 USA d Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 25 May 2014 Received in revised form 8 September 2014 Accepted 12 September 2014 Available online 20 September 2014 Keywords: Social learning Innovation Neophobia Stimulus enhancement Social facilitation a b s t r a c t Social learning can have profound evolutionary consequences because it drives the diffusion of novel behaviours among individuals and promotes the maintenance of traditions within populations. We inquired whether spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), generalist carnivores living in complex, primate- like societies, acquire information from conspecifics about a novel problem-solving task. Previously, we presented wild hyenas with a food-access puzzle and found that social learning opportunities did not affect problem-solving success among observers, but did reduce observers’ neophobia. However, we had little control over which individuals observed conspecifics solve the problem, and few wild hyenas were successful. Therefore, we conducted an experiment in captivity where we controlled observer access to two demonstration styles. Again, social learning opportunities did not affect problem-solving success, but tended to reduce neophobia among captive observers. Social learning opportunities also influenced problem-solving style. Captive hyenas showed limited evidence for directed social learning; low-ranking individuals paid closer attention to demonstrators than high-ranking individuals, although this greater attention did not result in greater success. We conclude that wild and captive hyenas exploit social learn- ing opportunities similarly, and that the limited social learning shown by hyenas on this task is likely based on localized stimulus enhancement. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Advantages of group living include exchange of information among group members and opportunities to learn adaptive behav- iors from conspecifics (Lee, 1994; Giraldeau, 1997; Addessi & Visalberghi, 2001). Social learning enables individuals to bene- fit from the expertise and knowledge of other group members, and represents the basis for formation of traditions and culture (Humphrey, 1976; Jolly, 1988; Russon, 1997; Whiten & Byrne, 1997; Day et al., 2003; Whiten & Van Schaik, 2007). Social learning is hypothesized to be particularly adaptive for animals that forage opportunistically, use challenging techniques for food searching and handling, and are highly gregarious (Klopfer, 1959; Caldwell & Whiten, 2002). In this study, we examine the extent to which captive spotted hyenas use available social information when solv- ing a novel food-access problem, and then compare the abilities ∗ Corresponding author at: Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 USA, Tel.: +1 307 766 4207. E-mail address: sbensona@uwyo.edu (S. Benson-Amram). of the captive hyenas to those previously found in wild hyenas confronting the same task. The results presented here are particu- larly valuable because they provide a direct comparison between the social learning abilities of wild and captive members of a single species. Spotted hyenas offer a good model system for investigating the role of social learning in the acquisition of innovative behaviors for several reasons. First, spotted hyenas are generalist carnivores that hunt and scavenge a diverse array of prey (Cooper et al., 1999). Social learning may be particularly adaptive when these animals explore novel food sources (Huber et al., 2001; Moscovice & Snowdon, 2006), and naïve hyenas would likely benefit greatly from observing the foraging choices made by knowledgeable con- specifics. Second, spotted hyenas live in large, complex primate-like societies and exhibit patterns of competition and cooperation that are remarkably similar to those seen in cercopithicine primates (Frank, 1986; Holekamp, 1999; Holekamp et al., 2007; Holekamp, 2007). Although social learning has received a great deal of atten- tion in studies of primate cognition (Call & Tomasello, 1995; Bugnyar & Huber, 1997; Whiten, 1998; Custance et al., 1999; Custance et al., 2001; Day et al., 2003; Caldwell & Whiten, 2004), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2014.09.019 0376-6357/© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.