Bonobos Demonstrate Imaginative Ability in New Experiments
The consistent performance of Kanzi the bonobo in pretend play experiments suggests that the mental capacity to imagine nonexistent objects may trace back 6 to 9 million years, rewriting assumptions about the uniqueness of human imagination.Kanzi the bonobo. Image credit: Ape Initiative.“It really is game-changing that their mental lives go beyond the here and now,” said Dr. Christopher Krupenye, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University.
“Imagination has long been seen as a critical element of what it is to be human but the idea that it may not be exclusive to our species is really transformative.”
“Jane Goodall discovered that chimps make tools and that led to a change in the definition of what it means to be human and this, too, really invites us to reconsider what makes us special and what mental life is out...
