Background image

terug

Apes swing up evolution ladder with first lessons in shopping

Apes swing up evolution ladder with first lessons in shopping

 
by Steve Farrar
Science Correspondent

   EVERY child remembers the
day when they were given their
first pocket money - and what
they wasted it on. Now a group
of orang-utans is about to have
the same experience.
   The pocket-money apes are to
be taught the rules of commerce
in an experiment to find out how
intelligent they really are. They
will be paid a daily amount of
metal coins in different values,
which they can spend on buying
bananas, popcorn and other
items.
   Zoologists hope the orang-
utans will prove capable of
handling numbers, judging what
 
 
1 
 
 
 
5 
 
2 
 
 
10 
 
 
 
 
15 
3 
 
 
 an item is worth, and maybe basic sentences before being75 for being groomed. My suspicion
20 even of trading among taught numbers and how to is that they are selfish by
 themselves. If they pass this test, count. nature and would not be inclined
 the animals will have demon-650    The apes will then be given a to share anything at all,’ said
 strated a level of intellectual daily salary of large metal Shumaker.
 sophistication that pushes them tokens with their numerical880    ‘In the past 15 million years,
25 still closer to their human value written on them. The that humans and orang-utans
 cousins. zoologists will charge them a fee have evolved separately,
4    Dr Robert Shumaker, who is55 for food, e.g. one for a bag of mankind has gained skills such
 leading the project at the popcorn or three for an apple. as language - essential for
 National Zoological Park in They will have to juggle85 negotiating trade - that no other
30 Washington DC, said: ‘Nobody numbers to add up the different animal possesses,’ said Dr
 has ever asked an orang-utan to values of their tokens to buy Robert Barton of Durham
 learn such sophisticated assign-60 treats, consider whether the University. ‘Fifteen million
 ments before - it will reveal a lot prices the scientists are charging years is a small gap in the broad
 about what is going on inside represent good value, and plan90 scale of evolution but in
35 their minds.’ ahead to save up enough for the everyday life terms it’s
5    Two of Shumaker’s orangutans, most expensive items. immense,’ he said.
 Indah and Azy, have765    Anthropologists will watch9    Dr Cecilia Heyes, a psychologist
 already learnt to recognise how the commerce changes the at University College
 elements of a language where social relationships between the95 London, warned: ‘We have a
40 written symbols represent 10 orang-utans, which could reveal tendency to see animals as more
 different foods, objects and hints of how this process may like us than they are likely to be.
 verbs such as ‘grape’, ‘bag’ and70 have affected pre-historic We almost see them as children,
 ‘open’. In front of zoo visitors, human society. ‘We are and it is scientifically incorrect
 in a test area called the Think wondering whether they will100 to do so.’
45 Tank, they are learning to string trade tokens with each other, 
 these symbols together into perhaps offering them in return ‘The Sunday Times’