Our guide to one of our closest relatives – the gorilla, including the difference between the two species, why they're ...

At a pretend tea party, a bonobo named Kanzi did something so unexpected that it’s reshaping how scientists think about ...

The ability to imagine -- to play pretend -- has long been thought to be unique to humans. A new study suggests certain apes may be able to as well.

Researchers adapted the playbook for studying young children to stage a juice party for Kanzi. They poured imaginary juice from a pitcher into two cups, then pretended to empty just one. They asked ...

Human children do it all the time: They pour imaginary tea or feed dolls with an empty spoon. Such “as-if” actions are based on the ability to hold something imagined in mind, even though one knows it ...

Scientists showed for the first time that apes can use their imagination and play pretend, an ability previously thought to ...

Kanzi the ape knows the difference between real and pretend juice, challenging what we thought made human imagination special ...

Imagination may not be uniquely human. A new study shows an ape tracking pretend objects, reshaping ideas about cognition and evolution.

Researchers offered a bonobo named Kanzi imaginary juice and grapes, presenting the tests as a kind of make-believe tea party ...

Past anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.

Amalia Bastos first met Kanzi the bonobo in 2023. Bastos was “starstruck,” she recalls: Kanzi was famous for learning how to communicate with humans using a keyboard of symbols. Upon first seeing ...

In a playtime experiment, researchers found that our closest living relatives have the capacity for make-believe, too.