From Lab to Life: Apes Can Play Pretend |
Some people believe that only humans have creative imaginations: The ability to perceive intangible things that do not exist physically, before their eyes. Children use imaginary play to develop language skills and to develop many crucial life skills. The pressure of parents on small children to engage in conventional schooling (e.g., early childhood prep schools in South Korea) may be misguided when it displaces time spent in play.
Research by Krupenye et al. at Johns Hopkins University has now shown that a bonobo named Kanzi has a strong imagination and is able to engage in........