Most of us think of “mind reading” as something reserved for people with strong intuition, or something we only joke about when a friend finishes our sentences. But new research suggests that one of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom may have a similar ability. Bonobos, it turns out, might understand what others know in ways that look remarkably like human social intuition.
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A Skill Human Children Develop Only Around Age Three
The ability to tell what someone else knows, sees, or believes is called “theory of mind.” It allows us to sense gaps in another person’s knowledge and adjust how we communicate. Humans start showing this skill at around three years of age. For decades, researchers have tried to determine whether any other species can do it too. Despite years of studies involving chimpanzees, ravens, and other highly intelligent animals, many scientists remained unconvinced.
A New Study Finds Signs Of Mind Reading In Bonobos
Now, researchers working with three bonobos at a research centre in Iowa have found convincing evidence that these apes may intuitively understand what another individual does not know. The bonobos involved in the study were Kanzi, aged 43, Nyota, aged 25, and Teco, aged 13. All three worked with a researcher in a simple but revealing test.
Food rewards such as half a grape, a chunk of apple, a peanut, or a few Cheerios were hidden under one of three cups. A second person hid the food while the researcher sat opposite the bonobo. Sometimes the researcher saw exactly where the treat went. Other times, a large cardboard barrier blocked their view, leaving them unaware of its location.
Bonobos Helped More When The Researcher Did Not Know
The bonobos could clearly see whether the researcher had witnessed the hiding process. What makes the study remarkable is how the apes changed their behaviour based on this knowledge. When the researcher had not seen where the treat went, the bonobos were 29 per cent more likely to point to the correct cup. They also pointed about 1.5 seconds faster.
This behavior suggests they understood something deeper: that the researcher lacked information, and that they could help fill the gap. In other words, they seemed to recognize another individual’s ignorance – a key component of theory of mind.
Researchers Say This Ability May Date Back Millions Of Years
Dr Chris Krupenye, senior author of the study and an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University, says the findings show that apes may share the mental building blocks humans rely on for complex communication, cooperation, and teaching.
According to Dr Krupenye, the results challenge the long-standing belief that animals cannot understand mental states. Instead, they support the idea that these cognitive abilities may have evolved millions of years ago in a common ancestor shared by humans and other apes.
A Stronger Case Than Earlier Observations
Previous research hinted that chimpanzees might recognize what others do not know. For example, chimps have been observed making more alarm calls when another chimp has not seen a nearby snake. But some experts argued that this might simply be fear, not communication.
The bonobo study offers clearer evidence because the apes had to juggle two separate thoughts at once: their own knowledge of the food’s location, and their understanding that the researcher lacked this information. Their decision to point more quickly only when the researcher was uninformed makes the case far stronger.
A Glimpse Into Minds More Like Our Own
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights how closely connected humans are to other great apes – not just physically, but cognitively. Bonobos may not read minds in the way we imagine, yet they appear to recognize what others know or do not know. That ability forms the foundation of cooperation, teaching, and even empathy.
And if apes can do it too, we may still have much to learn about the minds that run quietly alongside our own.
