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Did the bonobo play pretend or did the scientists play pretend with an imaginary bonobo?
Dang, we really need to control for these confounding variables
It’s the same problem with double blind tests. Writing protocol when blindfolded is hard
I’ve long contended that primates are, in principle, too stupid to be real.
Since I saw that primates have a sense of humor, things like this don’t surprise me as much, because it’s not like they’re similar to us, it’s that we are very similar to them. It’s natural to share many traits.
Don’t dogs and cats do it?
When have you seen your dog or cat pretend to interact with an invisible object, like a toddler having an imaginary cup of tea?
I’ve known multiple dogs that put items in a spot, then brushed their noses over them, as if burying them with invisible dirt.
However, I figure that’s an instinctual behavior, similar to digging/burying food. Not evidence of imagination. Just evidence of dogs interacting with invisible objects.
They pretend they have toys when they have nothing at all, sometimes. And I’d argue that even playing with toys the way they do is major make-believe. Which is also something they already do in the wild - practice hunting on dead animals or inanimate objects.
Cats pretend aggression when playing with each other
