Thursday, January 17, 2008

An Orangutan is a hydrologic cycle onto itself

The more we learn of the other great apes the more we learn how intelligent they are. Recent studies have even shown chimpanzees can outscore humans on certain memory tests.

Despite their brain power, clearly our Hominidae cousins are hampered by a lack of complexity of language when compared to ours. Maybe if apes could talk they would be able to build cities and conclude it is time to put some clothes on.

And, if they could talk, we could get to the bottom of one the biggest mysteries of animal cognition: Do the other great apes have theory of mind, or self-awareness?

Some primatologists suggest that they do. Others aren't so sure. After watching this orangutan quench its thirst, I'm going to have go with the latter.

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