Ape Aptitude: Chimps & Orangutans May Recall Older Memories

Just like humans, chimpanzees and orangutans can apparently remember things that happened years ago in their lives, scientists now find.

People's memories of days long gone by can often surface unexpectedly in response to sensory cues, such as scents. For instance, in a renowned scene in Marcel Proust's most famous novel, commonly known as "Remembrance of Things Past," the flavor of a certain cake known as a madeleine spontaneously evoked a long-forgotten childhood memory for the main character regarding breakfast at his aunt's house.

The ability to remember events from the remote past "has been considered a defining feature of human nature," said comparative psychologist Gema Martin-Ordas, of Aarhus University in Denmark. Now she and her colleagues find that chimpanzees and orangutans can also recall distant memories.

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