Bonobos enjoy pretend tea parties and chimps think rationally: why apes are more like us than we ever thought

A series of stunning findings about great apes’ mental capabilities in recent years has transformed how we see our closest relatives Clear plastic cups and pitchers adorned the wooden table in Des Moines, Iowa. Invisible juice was poured and presented to Kanzi, who enthusiastically chose the fake filled cup, playing along with the man who had come to visit. In many ways, it was the quintessential scene of a children’s imaginary tea party. Only Kanzi, at 44 years old, was a bonobo. The experim...

By Gloria Dickie