The game "chimpanzee chess" is utilized to find out if chimpanzees can imagine what other chimpanzees are thinking about.
As you already might know from my blog I am a passionate chess player ... but did you also hear already of this other kind of 'chess' played by chimpanzees?
At the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology[1] in Leipzig researchers are making experiments to find out if great apes have the ability to understand what other persons (in this case: other great apes) are thinking. These studies reach back to 1978 and last until today.[2]
One way to gather new knowledge is letting the great apes play the so called "chimpanzee chess".
I will present you two versions of this game which both show the amazing cognitive skills of the great apes (as well as the creativity of the scientists to develop target-aimed experiments).
Source: Pixabay.
Version 1: the flat lying and the slanted caps.
Two chimpanzees in two different cages are sitting opposite to each other. Between them is placed a table. Then the researcher places a visual cover in front of chimpanzee A so that only chimpanzee B can observe what happens on the table now: the scientist places two banana pellets on a board on the table and covers them with small caps. However one of the banana pellets is lying in a hollow so that the cap lies flat. The other cap lies in a slanted position because of the food under it.
Now the the visual cover in front of chimpanzee A (who didn't see where the scientist put the pellets) is removed again and put in front of chimpanzee B. Chimpanzee A is allowed now to point on one of the two caps. He chooses the cap lying in a slanted position (slanted because of the food under it as he is correctly assuming).
Finally candidate B can choose ... and even if he still doesn't see anything he makes the correct decision: he points to the side of the flat lying cap and gets rewarded with a banana pellet! :) He only could meet the correct decision because of being able to imagine that chimpanzee A had probably chosen the cap lying in the slanted position, so that he himself had to choose the other one to get some food. Amazing, isn't it?
I offer you the abstract of that study[3] as well as a longer description of what has been done in German language.[4]
Version 2: the 'shell game'.
Be honest please: the 'chimpanzee chess' described above was way too complicated for most of us 'normal' Homo sapiens (OK, maybe part of the seemingly complexity could just be the result of my inabilitiy to describe it in appropriate English). :-)
Anyway, I will try to do better concerning version 2 of 'chimpanzee chees' by means of using images. This time the chimpanzees are sitting in front of three cups. Both great apes can observe that the researcher places a grape under the right cup (and then covers it again with the cup).
That's what both candidates know (a grape was placed under the right cup):
Then the researcher places a visual cover in front of chimpanzee A so that only chimpanzee B can observe what happens now: the scientist places another grape under the left cup.
That's what only chimpanzee B knows: under the right and the left cup there is a hidden grape:
Now a visual cover is placed in front of chimpanzee B, and chimpanzee A can make his choice. Of course he chooses the right cup, because he saw that a grape was placed there before (and didn't see that also under the left cup a grape was hidden).
Finally chimpanzee B can make his choice. His great cognitive achievement is that he can put himself in the shoes of chimpanzee A! He knows that chimpanzee A only has seen that the researcher has put a grape under the right cup and probably did choose the right side. He also don't know if something is lying under the cup in the middle. Therefore he chooses the left cup and gets his well deserved reward.
You can also find a description of the experiment in German language.[5]
Sources:
- https://www.mpg.de/eva-de
- http://www.eva.mpg.de/psycho/pdf/Call&Tomasello2008TICS.pdf
- http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/3077.abstract
- https://www.dasgehirn.info/denken/im-kopf-der-anderen/schimpansen-schach
- http://www.rp-online.de/panorama/wissen/denkvermoegen-von-tieren-wird-unterschaetzt-aid-1.3800322
REALLY REALLY IMPRESSIVE POST!! Always been a fan of monkeys, apes, etc and always have been fascinated with research and findings such as this as scientists learn more and more about their brains - I honestly can not comprehend how anyone at all can not unequivocally believe in humans evolving from monkeys
Yes, right, but some people misinterpret things and claim according to evolution theory Homo sapiens would originate form the chimpanzee (which of course no scientists said). Then it is important to make clear that both just have common ancestors, and are different branches of the same tree.
Very well said "different branches from the same tree" I could not have said it better myself!!
A lot of animal behavior experiments can be fascinating. Its always interesting to see how researchers design an experiment to give the animal an opportunity to demonstrate intelligence. These are great examples and I'd love to hear about more.
Well, I understood everything. This was pretty crystal clear to me. I like this kind of experiments. Animals are way more intelligent than we think they are :)
Yes, right, I am fascinated how even invertebrates like Cephalopoda or bees show amazing cognitive skills.
I must admit I didn't read the two posts you are referring to... Am doing it right now! :)
Most of the humas don't realize how close our relationship with some animals actually is. I recommend readhing the book "Sapiens" - it gives some mindblowing points of view.
Do you know that book?
Edit:// Gibts natürlich auch in ner deutschen Verfassung falls dir das lieber sein sollte ;)
Do you mean this one?
Hey @jaki01
It is really awesome to see what our animal relatives are capable of. But also very sad in concern of what humans did to them in the past. Maybe they would've evolved even more in the past decades if they wouldn't have been reduced to the amount of living ones today.
Well we also came by to tell you that one of your photographies was mentioned in our Community-Art series! Here they are:
https://steemit.com/art/@uniquecosmos/steemit-community-art-3-let-us-create-this-world-together-hosted-by-uniquecosmos
Best wishes from the future!
Yes, I agree, it is so sad how (just as an example) the peaceful orangutans are treated by us in southeast Asia.
I like this recent change of topics to more sciency stuff :)
Haha, it may only be an episode. :) Just let's wait see what my moodily mind will do next ... I myself don't know it yet.
img credz: pixabay.com
Nice, you got a 20.0% @peaceandlove upgoat, thanks to @jaki01
It consists of $4.99 vote and $1.66 curation
Want a boost? Minnowbooster's got your back!
The @OriginalWorks bot has determined this post by @jaki01 to be original material and upvoted(1.5%) it!
To call @OriginalWorks, simply reply to any post with @originalworks or !originalworks in your message!
@jaki01 extraordinary
I am amazed the contents of your post, really interesting.
it is a useful science for me, I will look for more in the next, which is related to the discussion that is in your post this.
thanks for sharing
The Dawn of the Apes!
Chimps have very developed intelligence which is cool!
Upvote!
an interesting game for chimpanzees.
I like it
interesting post thanks for sharing
Have a nice day @jaki01
Interesting game , thanks for posting
chimpanzee chess, realy interesting , good post
These are our elders are you agree
Not really ... we 'only' have common ancestors.
Amazing post really nice & mind touch blog😁..I like this👌.Re-steem😍😍
No worries @jaki01. You have nicely introducing this blog about Chimpanzee chess. Thats too complicated more than humans chess procedure. As my mind Chimpanzee are most intelligent more than peoples, so very easy to understand this concept.
Haha, chimpanzees are intelligent, indeed, but "more than peoples", might be a little bit exagerated. :)
That would be most comprehensive topic about chess. you give deeply acknowledgement from this article. I think before was born Homo-sapiens, various Monkey models in the planet. They had high intelligent wisdom. My guess chess came from their wisdom. I know that humans has more wisdom currently more than chimpanzee. Its only technical site. But monkeys success from other things more than humanity. You showing nice example for rate this article. I can give you high stars for this post @jaki01.
Resteemed.
interesting blog.
Thanks @jaki01
Have a nice day
this is amazing post.
100% like and resteem
Thanks for sharing.
((((((( Resteem Service))))))
Great post,
For your post propagation.
Upvote/Resteem
Thats a really blog. useful science.
Upvote Resteem
Interesting post
Good post! I love the chimpanzee chess game, it has showed that apes too are wise and reasonable. Thank you for the educative post
I am glad to see that you liked my article. Thank you for your upvote ... ups, I just see you didn't! :)
It must have been an omission or probably the network. It's done now
I think this one is best educational blog lot of projectable contents indeed here. I know you always try to provide chess knowledge of steemians posted chess articles. But presently you think different historical chess post.
Keep in touch. go ahead.
Excellent post. thanks for sharing.
Upvote Resteem
that's amazing
never though a chimpanzee is that smart
@jaki01 - Oh my goodness, Sir I never heard this before.... After reading your post I feel "The Apes Planet" movie can be true in future Sir.... Studying animals behavior is a good thing Sir.... Nice you decided to share it....
To get more audience, I wish to ReSteem your post.
+W+ [UpVoted & ReSteemed]
Lol, do you mean the movie "Planet of the Apes"? I think it is typical for us humans to imagine intelligent creatures to be as aggressive as we are. In case that descendants of gorillas or peaceful orangutans would dominate the planet, probably earth would be a better place. :)
Daily Learn some new from your post. Love to read it.
@jaki01,
"Chimpanzee Chess" that might be an interesting topic and it's finds also amazed me either! Actually I never heard about it before! Thanks for sharing such great post with us!
Cheers~
This is impressive
Hello @jaki01,
Extraordinary good article discuss about animals behavior & how intelligent they are. Interesting information about them.
~@mywhale
chimp at chess, interesting topic. nice post @jaki01
@resteemia
So lovely post jakio1.
'The game "chimpanzee chess" is utilized to find out if chimpanzees can imagine what other chimpanzees are thinking about.'
Interesting research about them~
Amazing article to read that was interesting !!!
Such a interesting post.Keep it up.
Thanks! :)
I wonder if those chimps are going to evolve in thousands of years in some more humanish species :) think about it :)
That would be the question of course, but under the current circumstances they won't have the opportunity, I guess. Homo sapiens probably will prevent that ...
Chess with Chimpanzees, that would be a good idea ;) Nice article.
~Followed & Upvoted
the forest people also like us my friends, take care of him like family
Nyc Post!! I like Your Posts!!
Thanks! You actually may upvote them, haha. :)
Yeah, sure I'll do soon. I am new here :)
I already had some study about chimpanzees.. it was interesting to read.. i saw some videos where chimpanzees were playing chess!
This Post Really impress me its really intersting post @jaki01
Thanks ... if it impressed you, you may consider to upvote the article. :)