Summary: In a major collaborative effort, researchers have released EVApeCognition, the largest and most comprehensive open-access dataset of great ape cognition compiled to date. The resource aggregates 262 experimental datasets from 150 publications spanning nearly two decades, offering an unprecedented view of how our closest living relatives think, learn, and solve problems.
This “Ape Atlas” provides a new lens on the evolutionary roots of human intelligence by enabling researchers to study development, individual differences, and the organisation of cognitive abilities across a broad, standardised collection of experiments.
Key Facts
- World’s largest open dataset: EVApeCognition aggregates 262 experimental datasets from 150 publications collected over an 18-year period.
- Broad collaboration: Nearly 100 institutions contributed and standardised data from more than 80 individual great apes, overcoming the historic limitations of small, disconnected samples in primate cognition research.
- Long-term developmental data: The dataset covers studies from 2001 to 2020 at the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre, enabling analyses of long-term development in problem-solving, memory, social cognition, and related abilities.
- Open science resource: EVApeCognition is openly available via a dedicated GitHub repository and was published in a Nature journal format to facilitate reuse by researchers, educators, and modelers.
Source: University of Stirling
Overview
A pioneering project led by researchers from the University of Stirling and the Max Planck Institute has created the EVApeCognition Dataset, opening new opportunities to study the evolutionary origins of human intelligence. Great ape cognition — how apes perceive, learn, remember, and reason — is a cornerstone for comparative research, but studies have long been constrained by limited sample sizes and fragmented access to experimental data.
Funded by the Max Planck Institute and coordinated by psychologist Dr Alejandro Sanchez-Amaro from the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, the project standardised 262 experimental datasets drawn from 150 publications and involving 81 individual apes. Most individuals (78 of 81) participated in more than one study, creating a rich longitudinal and cross-sectional resource.
Dr Sanchez-Amaro notes that compiling such an extensive open-access dataset is rare in comparative psychology: “Ape participation per study is usually low, and most studies focus on specific questions. Bringing together data from over 150 studies across more than 80 apes provides a unique, standardised resource for both research and teaching.”
As members of the Hominidae family, humans share a recent evolutionary history with other great apes; chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives. By mapping which cognitive skills are shared and which are unique, researchers can better infer when key aspects of human intelligence emerged.
The data were collected at the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre in Leipzig between 2001 and 2020. Careful curation, standardisation, and internal review preceded publication, ensuring the dataset is ready for meta-analyses, correlational studies, and comparative research into cognitive development and organisation.
Research Significance
Principal Investigator Dr Daniel Haun, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, emphasised the value of scale and continuity: “By pooling numerous small-scale studies into one standardised resource, EVApeCognition makes it possible to ask broader questions about cognition that were previously difficult to address. It strengthens comparative research into the evolutionary roots of human intelligence.”
The dataset is intended both for scientific analysis and educational use. Instructors and students in psychology, biology, and related fields can use real experimental data for coursework and student-led projects. Computer scientists and AI researchers can also explore the dataset to develop biologically informed models of learning and social behaviour.
Key Questions Answered
A: Humans share a high percentage of DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos. Comparing cognitive strengths and limits across species helps identify which mental skills are shared and which are uniquely human, illuminating stages in our cognitive evolution.
A: Yes. The dataset is a large, standardised collection of experimental results that can be used to inform biologically inspired AI, computational models of learning, and analyses of problem-solving strategies observed in primates.
A: The dataset is open-access and intended for researchers, educators, and anyone interested in primatology or comparative cognition. It provides access to nearly 20 years of experimental work at one research centre.
Editorial Notes
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- The original journal paper was reviewed in full.
- Additional context and clarifications were added by our staff for readability and educational use.
About this research
Author: Fraser Clarke
Source: University of Stirling
Contact: Fraser Clarke – University of Stirling
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Original research: Open access. The research article presenting the dataset details the scope, methods, and curation workflow and is published in a Nature-affiliated journal. The full author list and DOI are provided in the original publication.
Abstract
EVApeCognition: An 18-Year Dataset of Great Ape Cognition
Great ape cognition research offers essential insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence but has been limited by small sample sizes and restricted data access. EVApeCognition addresses these challenges by providing a public, standardised compilation of 262 experimental datasets drawn from 150 publications conducted at the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre (2004–2021). Eighty-one individual apes took part in these studies, most across multiple experiments. Publication of this dataset aims to enable future meta-analyses, developmental studies, and comparative research that will deepen our understanding of how great apes think, learn, and behave.