Smarter than the average ape: Chimpanzee intelligence is determined by their genes not their environment, researchers say



Chimpanzees raised by humans turn out to be no cleverer than those given an ape upbringing

Genes explain 50% of the differences seen in their intelligence test scores

A chimpanzee’s intelligence is largely determined by the genes they inherit from their parents, reveals a new study.

It found Chimpanzees raised by humans turn out to be no cleverer than those given an ape upbringing.



Research into chimp intelligence could help scientists get a better handle on human IQ, say scientists.

A chimpanzee¿s intelligence is largely determined by the genes they inherit from their parents, reveals a new study

HOW THEY DID IT The study involved 99 chimpanzees, ranging in age from nine to 54, who completed 13 cognitive tasks designed to test a variety of abilities.

The scientists then analysed the genetics of the chimps and compared their ability to complete the tasks in relation to their genetic similarities. Genes were found to play a role in overall cognitive abilities, as well as the performance on tasks in several categories, the scientists discovered.

This is because while genes also play a major role in human intelligence, factors such as schooling, home life, economic status, and the culture a person is born in complicate the picture.



Previous studies have suggested that genetics account for around a quarter to a half of variations in human intelligence.



The new research involving 99 chimpanzees from a wide range of ages showed that genes explained about 50% of the differences seen in their intelligence test scores.



Chimps raised by human caretakers did no better in the tasks than individuals brought up by their chimpanzee mothers.

'Intelligence runs in families,' Dr. William Hopkins from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, who ran the study, said.



'The suggestion here is that genes play a really important role in their performance on tasks while non-genetic factors didn’t seem to explain a lot. So that’s new.'



Previous studies have suggested that genetics account for around a quarter to a half of variations in human intelligence. The new research involving 99 chimpanzees from a wide range of ages showed that genes explained about 50% of the differences seen in their intelligence test scores.

He believes the experiment could shed new light on human intelligence.

'Chimps offer a really simple way of thinking about how genes might influence intelligence without, in essence, the baggage of these other mechanisms that are confounded with genes in research on human intelligence.



'What specific genes underlie the observed individual differences in cognition is not clear, but pursuing this question may lead to candidate genes that changed in human evolution and allowed for the emergence of some human-specific specialisations in cognition.



'It is also intriguing to consider what changes in cortical organisation might be associated with individual differences in cognition and whether common genes might explain their common variance.'



The findings appear in the journal Current Biology.





