JOURNAL ARTICLE

Chimpanzees are natural scientists.

  • Published In: Science, 2025, v. 390, n. 6772. P. 444 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Hare, Brian 3 of 3

Abstract

The ability of humans to identify relevant information as evidence and update their beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence is foundational to all scientific inquiry (1). The extent to which nonhuman animals are capable of similar forms of reasoning has long been under debate. In his book The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin proposed that the greatest challenge for evolutionary theory is human intelligence (2). He predicted that psychological elements would be found in nonhumans, particularly in nonhuman apes, that bridge the gap between human and nonhuman cognition (3). On page 521 of this issue, Schleihauf et al. (4) report that chimpanzees can update their beliefs on the basis of the quantity and quality of new evidence, providing more support for Darwin's radical idea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Science. 2025/10, Vol. 390, Issue 6772, p444
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Zoology
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0036-8075
  • DOI:10.1126/science.aeb7565
  • Accession Number:189012991
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