Apes can recognize old friends they haven’t seen for decades, according to new research, and it’s the longest-lasting social memory ever documented outside humans. The study found that both chimpanzees and bonobos recognize old friends, even after decades apart. Researchers believe that apes’ social memory could extend beyond 26 years and could even be comparable with that of humans, who start to forget people after 15 years but can remember them for as long as 48 years, the release added. “This seems to be approaching sort of life-long memory for these animals,” Krupenye told CNN. This is also a new record for the length of social memory in nonhuman animals, after previous research showed that dolphins remembered individuals they hadn’t seen for 20 years, according to the researchers.

Source: CNN December 19, 2023 12:10 UTC