Bonobo Kanzi Plays Pretend Like a Child, Showing Ape’s Capacity to Imagine

Imagination develops in early childhood through creative play and later becomes a fundamental force in shaping the modern societies we know today. Often thought of as exclusive to humans, engaging with ideas only present in a person’s mind may not be as unique as we think.

By playing tea party games with Kanzi, a bonobo at the Ape Initiative research center in Iowa, researchers at Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that monkeys may have a capacity for imagination. When asked where the imaginary juice or grape had gone after pretending to pour it or place it somewhere, he pointed to the correct cup or pot.

These experiments, published in Sciencenot only give us insight into the actual mental abilities of our closest cousins, but also suggest that this skill was likely ingrained around 6 to 9 million years ago.

“This work tells us that humans are not the only animals with complex mental lives, and it reminds us how much we need to learn from apes — about them and about ourselves,” said Christopher Krupenye, study co-author and assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences. Discover.

Imagination is not only human

The first sparks of human imagination begin very early. From the age of 2, children participate in imaginary play, such as tea parties – a perfect outward expression of the cognitive ability to engage in something that only exists in our minds. Imagination has therefore played a fundamental role in the construction of today’s complex human world, but it may not be limited to us.

After Jane Goodall described chimpanzees’ tool making and use, researchers began looking for complex cognitive abilities beyond Homo sapiens. In the wild and in captivity, chimpanzees have been observed to engage in imaginary play, holding sticks gingerly like infants or dragging imaginary blocks across the ground. Despite anecdotal evidence of different wild and captive animals displaying simulated behavior, controlled studies that support the observations are lacking.

“Bonobos and chimpanzees are our closest relatives,” Krupenye told Discover. “Therefore, they have a unique role to play in clarifying what makes the human mind unique and, conversely, what foundations of our psychology are shared and likely evolved millions of years ago in our common evolutionary ancestor.”

Learn more: Long thumbs and big brains co-evolved in primates, giving humans our most unique traits

A bonobo playing pretend

The researchers tested Kanzi, a 43-year-old captive bonobo previously seen playing pretend and trained to respond to verbal prompts, in a tea party-like experiment to finally record any displays of imagination in a controlled environment. The bonobo and the experimenter sat around a table filled with empty pitchers and cups or bowls and jars.

As described in a press release, the experiments proceeded as follows: After pretending to pour juice from the pitcher into one of the cups and the experimenter asking Kanzi where the juice was, he generally pointed to the correct cup, even after several repetitions and changing the location of the cup. Another experiment involved placing imaginary grapes in one of two jars, and again, after asking Kanzi where the grape was, he showed him the correct spot.

“We didn’t take it for granted that he would necessarily be successful,” Krupenye said. Discover. “I was amazed and delighted to see him perform so well in all the experiments! »

Showing imagination in monkeys for the first time

Although Kanzi wasn’t always right, most of his answers were correct, making it unlikely that his reactions were a coincidence. Research shows that bonobos may have the cognitive ability to generate an idea in their minds even if they know it is not real, Amalia Bastos, study co-author and professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, said in the release.

Based on these results, further research will likely follow, likely including other monkeys and animals in similar experiments. Besides imagination, the team hopes to explore other aspects of imagination, such as thinking about the future and anticipating the thoughts of others.

“I hope this discovery inspires people to learn more about these remarkable creatures and become invested in saving them,” Krupenye told Discover. “It will take a lot of effort, donations to conservation organizations and government intervention, but if we work together we can ensure these curious and wonderful animals can share the future with us.”

Learn more: Chimpanzees, like humans, break down complex tasks into smaller pieces

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