Monkey friends on a picture

24februari2010
Source: vroegevogels.vara.nl, photo David M. Jensen
Capuchin monkeys recognize other monkeys they know from a photo. Apparently, they are able to connect a two-dimensional image with reality. They see differences between the faces of monkeys and they remember the characteristics of the monkeys they are familiar with.
The Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal investigated this in collaboration with a researcher of the Emory University of Atlanta (USA). Capuchin monkeys were shown four photos of other monkeys. Three photos belonged to monkeys they did not know, while one photo was of a familiar monkey. Also a distribution the other way around was used, that is, three familiar monkeys and one unknown monkey. Each time the capuchins chose the picture that deviated in the photo line-up. It made no difference whether the photos were in black-and-white or in colour. According to De Waal this is the first proof that monkeys understand that photos are a picture of reality.

The research was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.