Researchers found that chimpanzees and bonobos can recognize former groupmates they haven’t seen for over 25 years, showing more attention to those they had positive relationships with.
This study, conducted with apes at various zoos and sanctuaries, used eye-tracking technology to measure apes’ responses to photographs of familiar and unfamiliar individuals.
The findings suggest that such enduring social memory in apes could have played a foundational role in the evolution of human culture and interpersonal relationships.
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