Apes Remember Friends They Haven't Seen For Decades, Shows Research

The work, which demonstrates the longest-lasting social memory ever documented outside of humans, and underscores how human culture evolved from the common ancestors we share with apes.

A recent study indicates that apes recognise photos of groupmates they haven't seen in more than 25 years and respond significantly more passionately to photos of their friends.

The work, which demonstrates the longest-lasting social memory ever documented outside of humans, and underscores how human culture evolved from the common ancestors we share with apes, our closest relatives, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Chimpanzees and bonobos recognize individuals even though they haven't seen them for multiple decades," said senior author Christopher Krupenye, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies animal cognition.