How great is great ape foresight?
Osvath and Osvath (Anim Cogn 11: 661-674, 2008) report innovative studies with two chimpanzees and one orangutan that suggest some capacity to select and keep a tool for use about an hour later. This is a welcome contribution to a small, but rapidly growing, field. Here we point out some of the weaknesses in the current data and caution the interpretation the authors advance. It is not clear to what extent the apes really engaged in any foresight in these studies.
Suddendorf
Thomas
T
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. t.suddendorf@psy.uq.edu.au
Corballis
Michael C
MC
Collier-Baker
Emma
E
D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition; D008568:Memory; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000523:psychology*; D011148:Pongo pygmaeus / Q000523:psychology*; D013998:Time Perception; D053001:Tool Use Behavior