Article

Do rhesus monkeys recognize themselves in mirrors?

Details

Citation

Anderson J & Gallup Jr GG (2011) Do rhesus monkeys recognize themselves in mirrors?. American Journal of Primatology, 73 (7), pp. 603-606. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20950

Abstract
Self-recognition continues to attract attention because of the evidence of a striking difference between the great apes and humans, on the one hand, and all other primates; the former are capable of self-recognition, whereas no compelling evidence exists for prosimians, monkeys, or lesser apes. This is in spite of numerous attempts to facilitate mirror self-recognition in other primates. Although all previous attempts to find self-recognition in rhesus macaques have failed, a recent article [Rajala et al., PLoS One 9:e12865, 2010] claimed the opposite-that adult male rhesus monkeys did recognize their own image in a mirror. We critically examine this claim, and conclude that the article fails to provide acceptable evidence for self-recognition in rhesus monkeys.

Keywords
self-recognition; mirror; great apes; monkeys; rhesus; Primates -Behavior; Social behavior in animals

Journal
American Journal of Primatology: Volume 73, Issue 7

StatusPublished
Publication date31/07/2011
URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/1893/15644
PublisherWiley-Blackwell
ISSN0275-2565