Bonobos know when you’re clueless
Feb 04, 2025
Bonobos, like humans, can understand when someone else doesn't know something. They did an experiment with bonobos where a human would hide food under a cup, and another human would have to find it. The bonobos could tell when the second human didn't know where the food was hidden. This shows that bonobos have a "theory of mind". This helps them figure out what others are thinking and adjust their behavior. In the experiment, the bonobos were quicker to point to where the food was hidden when the second human couldn't see it. This shows that bonobos can understand when someone else has different information than they do. It's important to remember that the experiment was done in a unique situation, and we should be careful about making generalizations about all bonobos based on this small study. Each bonobo is an individual and may act differently. But overall, this study shows that bonobos, our close relatives, can understand and adjust for others' knowledge.