Study Shows Apes can Plan Ahead

Bonobos and orangutans are capable of future planning, according to a study published in the journal Science.

Researchers found the apes could select a suitable tool for reaching a treat, carry it away, and return with it to retrieve the reward hours later.

Forward planning is thought by some to be a uniquely human trait.

The German team suggests such skills may have evolved about 14 million years ago, when bonobos, orangutans and humans shared a common ancestor.

This skill could have been present in the common ancestor to all great apes

Dr Josep Call
"We showed that individuals are able to pick up a tool, transport it to a different location, keep it there for at least an hour, and bring it back to solve a problem," explained lead author Dr Josep Call, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">BBC.co.uk

Well, I've definately seen, as I'm sure alot of people have, apes using "tools" before, but I never really thought about them being able to "plan ahead".

I personally think there's alot more we have yet to discover about other animals.

Your thoughts?

[edit on 23-5-2006 by xeroxed88]

I never actually considered that they couldn't plan ahead. But then again I never really thought about it.

Did you also know that chimps (our genetic cousins) are the only animal besides us that actively make war on their own species.
Bands of male chimps will invade another territory, attack females, children and other males before running away again.

i quite well believe that chimps and orangatans can plan ahead they are very intelligent animals (more intelligent than most of my ex boyfriends)
They have shown to have a complex social structure as well as many other skills ie making tools etc.
this is one species that we can still learn alot more from

Actually, that seems quite plausible given the observed behaviours of Chimpanzees in the wild.

I recall seing a documentary about 5 years ago depicting a the group of chimpanzees setting a "trap" for a monkey by creating a rought "sphere of chimps" to surround the unsuspecting target.... these chimpanzees displayed what appeared to be actions indicative of future planning, spacial relationship dynamics between individuals/cause/probable effects ... and the means of communication to facilitate this process.

Needless to say, the group caught the hapless monkey ... and ate it.... yes, another similarity to humans, chimps are omnivorous.

I'll bet it's the female's that plan ahead. When the males come treehome from a hard day of looking for berries and throwing feces at each other, they just want to kick back and have a banana ale or two. However, in comes the old coconut and vine! Nag, nag, nag!

Covered in 'S' again Byron? Every night you roll in here stinking to high heaven while I am slaving away to keep this treehouse clean and take care of the kids! Did you ever once think that maybe I'd like to get out?! Maybe I'd like to throw a little feces of my own! *starts the water works* I don't know why I let you impregnate me!! I'm going to my mother’s tree!!!

Originally posted by jbondo
Covered in 'S' again Byron? Every night you roll in here stinking to high heaven while I am slaving away to keep this treehouse clean and take care of the kids! Did you ever once think that maybe I'd like to get out?! Maybe I'd like to throw a little feces of my own! *starts the water works* I don't know why I let you impregnate me!! I'm going to my mother’s tree!!!

Sounds familiar

im not really that surprised, i mean i had a suspition (sp) that they could do this. well now theres confirmation but i guess that the ones that are better at planning ahead (and telling lies) will eventually form some kind of government

peace out

TheOne

Originally posted by TheOne12345
im not really that surprised, i mean i had a suspition (sp) that they could do this. well now theres confirmation

but i guess that the ones that are better at planning ahead (and telling lies) will eventually form some kind of government

peace out

TheOne

lmao theyd prob do a better job as well

Originally posted by TheOne12345
im not really that surprised, i mean i had a suspition (sp) that they could do this. well now theres confirmation

but i guess that the ones that are better at planning ahead (and telling lies) will eventually form some kind of government

peace out

TheOne

They already did, man. Get with the times.....

Originally posted by JackofBlades
Did you also know that chimps (our genetic cousins) are the only animal besides us that actively make war on their own species.
Bands of male chimps will invade another territory, attack females, children and other males before running away again.

Very good point. the last bit sounds like things are these days

Personally I never thought that they couldn't think ahead... I mean they are inteligent animals afterall.

that is quite interesting man, but just like other animals plan ahead
like squirrels, bury a nut return at a later date to get it again
thats planning ahead
but the tool thing is impressive

That is pretty cool.

Respect the apes

www.animalplanetasia.com...

in May 2002, the single most studied chimp in the world, named Frodo, leapt upon a woman walking through the Tanzanian jungle. He snatched the baby the woman was carrying on her back, climbed to the top of a tree and ripped the child’s head off...how human an act was Frodo’s assault upon that child? Was it premeditated – or something more primitive?

Scary.
I plan to watch that documentary this sunday.

Apes are smart, your point? Dolphins are smart to, but why is this in Cryptozoology? I didn't know Apes were like Bigfoot and Nessie.

Looks like the apes are alot more human than I thought they are. I also thought humans were the only species of animal that would destory each other. That other post about frodo, what channel is it on?