Researchers Have Successfully Taught Bonobos to Engage in Make-Believe Play
A groundbreaking study published in the journal Science has shed new light on the complex cognitive abilities of bonobos, one of our closest living relatives. Led by Dr. Amalia Bastos from the University of St Andrews, the research team successfully trained a bonobo named Kanzi to engage in make-believe play, mirroring the creative imagination and problem-solving skills of human children.
The study built upon previous work with Kanzi, who was raised using a sophisticated communication system that allowed him to understand and express complex concepts. The researchers took this foundation a step further by presenting Kanzi with imaginary objects, such as pretend cups filled with juice, and asking him to identify which container held the liquid.
To their surprise, Kanzi consistently chose the correct cup, demonstrating an understanding of the concept of pretence and the ability to distinguish between tangible and imaginary objects. This impressive feat was not solely based on observation or imitation, but rather on his own cognitive processing of the scenario.
The researchers also conducted additional experiments to test Kanzi's ability to follow imaginary objects in pretend scenarios. In one experiment, he was presented with two transparent containers containing a grape, and asked to identify which container held the fruit. With remarkable accuracy, Kanzi chose the correct container every time.
These findings not only provide new insights into the cognitive abilities of bonobos but also raise questions about our shared evolutionary past. According to Dr. Bastos, "the ability to make-believe could reach deep into our evolutionary past," suggesting that this capacity may have been present in our common ancestor with bonobos around 6-9 million years ago.
While the study's results are exciting, they also underscore the complexity and diversity of cognitive abilities across species. Prof. Zanna Clay from Durham University noted that it is not surprising to find imaginative thinking in closely related species like bonobos, given their advanced cognitive abilities and social complexity. "It would be more astonishing if we found this ability in more distantly related species with more divergent social and cognitive abilities," she observed.
The study's implications for our understanding of the evolution of human cognition are significant, and further research is warranted to explore the neural mechanisms underlying imaginative thinking in both humans and non-human animals.
A groundbreaking study published in the journal Science has shed new light on the complex cognitive abilities of bonobos, one of our closest living relatives. Led by Dr. Amalia Bastos from the University of St Andrews, the research team successfully trained a bonobo named Kanzi to engage in make-believe play, mirroring the creative imagination and problem-solving skills of human children.
The study built upon previous work with Kanzi, who was raised using a sophisticated communication system that allowed him to understand and express complex concepts. The researchers took this foundation a step further by presenting Kanzi with imaginary objects, such as pretend cups filled with juice, and asking him to identify which container held the liquid.
To their surprise, Kanzi consistently chose the correct cup, demonstrating an understanding of the concept of pretence and the ability to distinguish between tangible and imaginary objects. This impressive feat was not solely based on observation or imitation, but rather on his own cognitive processing of the scenario.
The researchers also conducted additional experiments to test Kanzi's ability to follow imaginary objects in pretend scenarios. In one experiment, he was presented with two transparent containers containing a grape, and asked to identify which container held the fruit. With remarkable accuracy, Kanzi chose the correct container every time.
These findings not only provide new insights into the cognitive abilities of bonobos but also raise questions about our shared evolutionary past. According to Dr. Bastos, "the ability to make-believe could reach deep into our evolutionary past," suggesting that this capacity may have been present in our common ancestor with bonobos around 6-9 million years ago.
While the study's results are exciting, they also underscore the complexity and diversity of cognitive abilities across species. Prof. Zanna Clay from Durham University noted that it is not surprising to find imaginative thinking in closely related species like bonobos, given their advanced cognitive abilities and social complexity. "It would be more astonishing if we found this ability in more distantly related species with more divergent social and cognitive abilities," she observed.
The study's implications for our understanding of the evolution of human cognition are significant, and further research is warranted to explore the neural mechanisms underlying imaginative thinking in both humans and non-human animals.
! like, kanzi was actually able to understand that it was pretend juice in a cup and not actual juice lol. its so cool how much he can process on his own without just copying what the researchers did. i mean, imagine being able to have deep conversations with ur gorilla cousin 
. this just shows how advanced bonobos r and how we share similarities w/ them. btw, 6-9 million yrs ago? that's like, ancient history 
! I mean, who knew bonobos were that smart? They're like the ultimate playmates! Kanzi's ability to make-believe is insane - I'm not even sure if we'd be able to do it with just our brains. The fact that they can distinguish between real and imaginary objects shows how advanced their cognitive skills are. It's wild to think about how deep this capacity might go back in evolutionary history... maybe we're not as alone in the universe as we thought? 
. I mean, we've always known they're super intelligent, but this is just crazy 
. And it makes you wonder what other hidden talents these bonobos have up their sleeves? 
The fact that Kanzi could distinguish between real and imaginary objects shows he's got some serious cognitive processing power 
. It's also kinda cool to think about how humans might've inherited this ability from our common ancestor 
. Anyway, more research is always welcome to get to the bottom of this...
! I mean, they're basically little humans with fur 
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. I mean, we're already pretty good at imagining stuff, but canines and primates are like total geniuses in this area 
. The fact that they could figure out which cup held the juice just by playing along with it is wild 
. It's also kinda mind-blowing to think about how old this ability might be, like 6-9 million years or something 
. Can you imagine what our ancient human ancestors were doing in their free time? Playing pretend and stuff 
. And what about the idea that this ability "reaches deep into our evolutionary past"? That just sounds like a fancy way of saying "humans are special" 
. I'm not sure we should be reading too much into these results just yet...
it's amazing how this study sheds light on our shared evolutionary past and makes me wonder what other secrets we could uncover about human and animal cognition 
It's crazy that they were able to teach Kanzi to make-believe like that! And what's even more mind-blowing is that it's not just about observing or imitating, but actually understanding the concept of pretence on their own. 
This research is all about showing how smart and creative our animal friends can be! 
. So yeah, lets keep explorin and learnin more about our evolutionary past 
But on a more serious note, I guess it's kinda weird that we're studying bonobos to learn more about ourselves... like, what does that even mean? 
They were able to distinguish between real and imaginary objects, which is like, our brain's superpower right now! 
. And what with the "6-9 million years ago" thingy... its all so confusing 
. I think its cool that they figgered out bonobos can do make-believe, but lets be real, its not like we cant already tell that from watching cartoons and kids tv shows 
. And it makes me wonder, what would happen if we taught other primates to play make-believe too? Would we see the same level of creativity and problem-solving skills?
. Bring on more studies like this!