Abstract

Prof Hirata will present several of his current research topics on social intelligence in chimpanzees. These studies are based on creating several experimental social situations in which chimpanzees compete with each other, learn tool using behaviours from another individual, or cooperate with their partners. For instance, in a cooperative experiment, two chimpanzees are offered a task in which they are required to pull each end of a rope simultaneously to drag blocks supporting food into reach. The chimpanzees demonstrated abilities to coordinate their behaviour through trial and error and communicative behaviour emerged during the task, but the communication differed according to the identity of the partner. Prof Hirata also used advanced technologies such as eye-tracking, event-related potential measurements, and ultrasound sonography to study chimpanzee intelligence and behaviour from a comparative cognitive perspective.