Chimps beat humans in memory tests (restatement summary)

Research made in Japan showed that chimpanzees have better memory than human.

The task for chimps and humans was to remember the location of numbers on the screen and to recall the sequence correctly. Young chimps completed this task better and faster than their mothers and adult humans.


Researchers believe that young chimps have photographic memory and it helps them to memorise a complex scene or pattern at a glance. Sometimes human children also have this memory but it declines with age.

Dr Lisa Parr said that this research is "ground-breaking". In her opinion this research gives us much information of understanding the skills necessary for the evolution of modern humanity.