Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) can learn complex behaviors through social learning, even when they cannot innovate independently. A study published in Nature shows that bumblebees can learn to open a two-step puzzle box to obtain food rewards by observing trained demonstrators, even though they fail to do so on their own. The experiment involved training demonstrators to open the box, which required a temporary reward for the first step. However, naive observers learned the behavior without ever receiving a reward for the first step. This suggests that social learning allows the acquisition of behaviors too complex to re-innovate through individual learning. The study challenges the notion that the ability to socially learn complex behaviors is unique to humans. The research involved a two-step puzzle box, where a blue tab had to be pushed out of the path of a red tab before the red tab could be pushed to rotate a clear lid and expose a reward. Demonstrators were trained to open the box, but they failed to learn it without the temporary reward. However, naive observers learned the behavior from the demonstrators. The study also found that bumblebees could learn the behavior through social learning, even when they had no prior experience with puzzle boxes or rewards for the first step. The study highlights the importance of social learning in the development of complex behaviors, challenging the assumption that such learning is exclusive to humans. It also suggests that bumblebees may have the capacity for cumulative culture, a concept previously thought to be unique to humans. The findings have implications for understanding the cognitive abilities of non-human animals and the evolution of cultural behaviors in the animal kingdom.Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) can learn complex behaviors through social learning, even when they cannot innovate independently. A study published in Nature shows that bumblebees can learn to open a two-step puzzle box to obtain food rewards by observing trained demonstrators, even though they fail to do so on their own. The experiment involved training demonstrators to open the box, which required a temporary reward for the first step. However, naive observers learned the behavior without ever receiving a reward for the first step. This suggests that social learning allows the acquisition of behaviors too complex to re-innovate through individual learning. The study challenges the notion that the ability to socially learn complex behaviors is unique to humans. The research involved a two-step puzzle box, where a blue tab had to be pushed out of the path of a red tab before the red tab could be pushed to rotate a clear lid and expose a reward. Demonstrators were trained to open the box, but they failed to learn it without the temporary reward. However, naive observers learned the behavior from the demonstrators. The study also found that bumblebees could learn the behavior through social learning, even when they had no prior experience with puzzle boxes or rewards for the first step. The study highlights the importance of social learning in the development of complex behaviors, challenging the assumption that such learning is exclusive to humans. It also suggests that bumblebees may have the capacity for cumulative culture, a concept previously thought to be unique to humans. The findings have implications for understanding the cognitive abilities of non-human animals and the evolution of cultural behaviors in the animal kingdom.