Baby chimps test better than 9-month-old kids

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

Orphaned infant chimpanzees that received attentive, nurturing care from human surrogate mothers were found to be more intellectually advanced than the average human baby when both groups were compared at the age of nine months, according to a new study published in the latest issue of Developmental Psychobiology. The authors believe the study is the first to ever examine how different types of human care can affect the cognitive development and overall well being of infant chimpanzees.

"The early rearing environment is incredibly important for chimpanzee infants as it is for humans," co-author Kim Bard told Discovery News.

Bard, a professor of comparative developmental psychology at the University of Portsmouth, conducted the research with colleagues Marinus van Ijzendoorn, Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg and Krisztina Ivan.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/02/c...baby-smart.html

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

They taste better too.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

They taste better too.

Terrible and wrong. I remember someone sending me pics in an email of the live monkey having his brain eaten. There's a special place in hell for people who do, IMO. Savages.

[dalegg 143]

Heck I think my 2 month old puppy was smarter than my 2 month old kids.

[Ban Hammer 13,355]

They taste better too.

Terrible and wrong. I remember someone sending me pics in an email of the live monkey having his brain eaten. There's a special place in hell for people who do, IMO. Savages.

don't watch faces of death then, there's a scene in there of that.

[PlatyPius 5]

Humans are f##king stupid, whether they're 9 months old or 90.

As evidence I present:

1. Jerry Springer.

2. The Clapper.

3. Coach bags.

4. pushbrk.

5. Mobile homes in tornado alley.

6. Chia Pets.

7. "Hipsters" on fixed gear bicycles.

8. Religion.

[Ban Hammer 13,355]

Humans are f##king stupid, whether they're 9 months old or 90.

As evidence I present:

1. Jerry Springer.

2. The Clapper.

3. Coach bags.

4. pushbrk.

5. Mobile homes in tornado alley.

6. Chia Pets.

7. "Hipsters" on fixed gear bicycles.

8. Religion.

i've always said the state should buy old trailers and park them out in the middle of nowhere as they are tornado magnets.

[chri'stina 190]

Well I wonder how long chimps live compared to humans. In the wild it seems that animals are grown up by age 1 off to attack prey. not normal for a human to do that. But we live longer than a lot of animals I thought.

[Kevin&Leilei 1]

This is not surprising at all when you consider that chimps are born much farther along in their development than humans. Humans have that pesky big brain and head, and have to leave the womb early while they can still fit through the birth canal.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Humans are f##king stupid, whether they're 9 months old or 90.

As evidence I present:

1. Jerry Springer.

2. The Clapper.

3. Coach bags.

4. pushbrk.

5. Mobile homes in tornado alley.

6. Chia Pets.

7. "Hipsters" on fixed gear bicycles.

8. Religion.

i've always said the state should buy old trailers and park them out in the middle of nowhere as they are tornado magnets.

I like how he puts Religion last.

[HAL 9000 96]

Well I wonder how long chimps live compared to humans. In the wild it seems that animals are grown up by age 1 off to attack prey. not normal for a human to do that. But we live longer than a lot of animals I thought.

Someday, Chimps will shop alongside us at Trader Joes. Or 7-Eleven at least.

But seriously... that difference is in the <1% genetic difference between our species.

[sereia 0]

They taste better too.

Terrible and wrong. I remember someone sending me pics in an email of the live monkey having his brain eaten. There's a special place in hell for people who do, IMO. Savages.

don't watch faces of death then, there's a scene in there of that.

I remember my family watching that series when I was a kid and they wouldn't let me in the room! Is it still available anywhere?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I see people 40+ years old that aren't as smart as chimps. Hell, we even had one for a President.

[slim 1,525]

Why is this a surprise?

Of course animals, any animals, are going to be more developmentally-advanced than humans. Humans have the longest cognitive development cycle of any animal and the reason for that is because we have so much more to learn!

Animals..... "OK..... I'm hungry. How can I get food?" Little older now..... "She's a hot chimp. How do I.....?" Opposable thumbs adds a year or so, but for just about everyone else in the animal kingdom, you're talking a few short years, and that's it.

Humans aren't much different, but we sandwich a whole lot of "other" info in there too. Spelling, grammar, trailer park tornado magnets, E=MC2, "that's hot.", zero, existentialism... not to mention things like making your bed and brushing your teeth.

Humans take so long to develop size because it's imperative their mind develops first. Animals.... not so much.

[slim 1,525]

Just to jump back in here for a minute though....... and I don't know if this was the purpose of the study, but it's been widely reported that a human's cognitive ability, while able to be enhanced over time, is pretty much set in the early years.

Read to your kid when they're small and they'll be a good reader later. Tell them stories and they'll have a good imagination. Etc., etc. Sure, you can teach them to read when they're five, but if they're already "programmed" to read when they're 9-months, by the time they're five they'll not only be reading, but also writing and coming up with stories to write down or tell. They may also be more open to foreign languages and even math.

Cognitive ability is some fascinating stuff. Who knows if it really works though because as posted above, there sure are a lot of 40-year-old chimps running around.