Don’t write off capuchin monkeys as simpleminded. It turns
out that they’re symbol-minded, wielding a mental capacity often regarded as unique
to people, researchers say.
CLEVER CAPUCHINS Capuchin monkeys, like this one lounging in a tree, demonstrate a capacity for symbolic thought in a new study. Elisabetta VisalberghiFRUIT TRADER A male capuchin monkey named Robot exchanges a plastic token for a piece of dried apricot during an experiment tracking his and four other monkeys’ ability to think symbolically.
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