Progress and Prospects in Primate Tool Use and Cognition

We review the main ecological and socio-cognitive hypotheses explaining the origin and evolution of tool use in primates. Whereas it is clear that recent studies have deepened our understanding of tool use in several domains, a more integrated approach will be necessary to further advance the field and place this information into a broader evolutionary context. We suggest a combined Comparative Socio-ecological and Developmental Approach (CSDA), which incorporates phylogenetic and ontogenetic perspectives with the ecological and socio-cognitive drivers of tool use as a means to clarify the integrated mechanisms that promote the emergence and maintenance of tool-using skills in primates, including humans.