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The Mind-Reading Apes: Bonobos Adjust Their Communication Based on Human Knowledge

New research challenges our assumptions about theory of mind in nonhuman primates.

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Anthropology & Primatology
Feb 04, 2025
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Do Bonobos Know What You Know?

For years, primatologists have debated whether our closest relatives, the great apes, possess a "theory of mind"—the ability to infer what others know or don’t know. While chimpanzees have shown signs of understanding another’s perspective, the question has remained unresolved for bonobos. A new study published in PNAS1 by L…

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