Use-wear and residue analysis of pounding tools used by wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) from Serra da Capivara (Piauí, Brazil)

Bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) from Serra da Capivara National Park (Brazil), perform the widest range of activities using stone tools all non-human tool-using primates. The behaviours behind this tool-use have been closely documented, but little is known about characteristics themselves. Here we redress imbalance and adopt an archaeological perspective to analysis pounding tools. We apply, for first time, systematic microscopic techniques used digging, cracking cashew nuts seed processing characterise their damage patterns combined with residue spatial distribution micro-remains analysis. This work presents a standardized methodology future primate use-wear studies as well forming reference collection which can be identify different within record. Furthermore, understanding archaeologically visible traces percussive represents initial step in developing investigate if similar were practiced by early hominins help these Plio-Pleistocene