The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Primate cognition
Abstract
Soon after Charles Darwin formulated his theory of evolution, primate cognition became a major area of research. In this book, Michael Tomasello and Josep Call assess the current state of our knowledge about the cognitive skills of non-human primates. They integrate empirical findings on the topic from the beginning of the century to the present, placing this research in theoretical perspective. They begin with an examination of the way primates adapt to their physical world, mostly for the purpose of foraging. The second part of the book looks at primate social knowledge and focuses on the adaptations of primates to their social world for purposes of competition and cooperation. In the third section, the authors construct a general theory of primate cognition, distinguishing the cognition in primates from that of other mammals (human in particular). Their broad-ranging theory provides a guide for future research. Primate Cognition is an enlightening exploration of the cognitive capacities of our nearest primate relatives and a useful resource for a wide range of researchers and students in psychology, behavioral biology, primatology, and anthropology.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Although this example may indicate a qualitative cognitive transition between two clades, the majority of cognitive traits likely evolve along more subtle dimensions and will not cleanly map onto major lineages of a phylogeny.”
From How does cognition evolve? Phylogenetic comparative psychology (2012) · cites this paper as Tomasello and Call 1997
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230 · Cited by 7,433
The faculty of language: what is it, who has it, and how did it evolve?
Hauser, M. D., Chomsky, N., & Fitch, W. T. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.298.5598.1569 · Cited by 5,189
Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the understanding and imitation of action
Rizzolatti, G., Fogassi, L., & Gallese, V. (2001) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/35090060 · Cited by 3,302
Humans Have Evolved Specialized Skills of Social Cognition: The Cultural Intelligence Hypothesis
Herrmann, E., Call, J., Hernàndez-Lloreda, M. V., Hare, B., & Tomasello, M. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1146282 · Cited by 1,582
Self-citationTraugott, E. C., & Dasher, R. B. (2024) · Cognitive linguistic studies in cultural contexts · doi:10.1075/clscc.15.c10 · Cited by 1,267
A Theory of Causal Learning in Children: Causal Maps and Bayes Nets.
Alison Gopnik, C., Glymour, C., Sobel, D. M., Schulz, L., Kushnir, T., & Danks, D. J. (2004) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.111.1.3 · Cited by 1,227
The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Intelligence in Corvids and Apes
Emery, N. J., & Clayton, N. S. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1098410 · Cited by 1,199
Ratcheting up the ratchet: on the evolution of cumulative culture
Tennie, C., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2009) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0052 · Cited by 1,187
Self-citationDarwin's mistake: Explaining the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds
Penn, D. C., Holyoak, K. J., & Povinelli, D. J. (2008) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x08003543 · Cited by 1,174
Social intelligence, innovation, and enhanced brain size in primates
Reader, S. M., & Laland, K. N. (2002) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.062041299 · Cited by 1,126
Burge, T. (2010) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199581405.001.0001 · Cited by 1,169
The Domestication of Social Cognition in Dogs
Hare, B. A., Brown, M. L., Williamson, C., & Tomasello, M. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1072702 · Cited by 1,089
Self-citationCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Children's Knowledge About the Mind
Flavell, J. H. (1999) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.50.1.21 · Cited by 959
Seed, A. M., & Tomasello, M. (2010) · Topics in Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2010.01099.x · Cited by 854
Self-citationGoodman, E. B. J. C. (1997) · Language and Cognitive Processes · doi:10.1080/016909697386628 · Cited by 771
The hidden structure of overimitation
Lyons, D. E., Young, A. G., & Keil, F. C. (2007) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0704452104 · Cited by 734
Ferrari, P. F., Gallese, V., Rizzolatti, G., & Fogassi, L. (2003) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1046/j.1460-9568.2003.02601.x · Cited by 728
Emulation, imitation, over-imitation and the scope of culture for child and chimpanzee
Whiten, A., McGuigan, N., Marshall‐Pescini, S., & Hopper, L. M. (2009) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0069 · Cited by 723
Meltzoff, A. N., & Decety, J. (2003) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1261 · Cited by 731
The manifold nature of interpersonal relations: the quest for a common mechanism
Gallese, V. (2003) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1234 · Cited by 709
Cooperative Breeding and Human Cognitive Evolution
Burkart, J. M., Hrdy, S. B., & Van Schaik, C. P. (2009) · Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews · doi:10.1002/evan.20222 · Cited by 646
Penn, D. C., & Povinelli, D. J. (2007) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2006.2023 · Cited by 643
Shaping of Hooks in New Caledonian Crows
Weir, A. A. S., Chappell, J., & Kacelnik, A. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1073433 · Cited by 625
Parallel Patterns of Evolution in the Genomes and Transcriptomes of Humans and Chimpanzees
Khaitovich, P., Hellmann, I., Enard, W., Nowick, K., Leinweber, M., Franz, H., Weiß, G., Lachmann, M., & Pääbo, S. (2005) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1108296 · Cited by 590
What Makes Human Cognition Unique? From Individual to Shared to Collective Intentionality
Tomasello, M., & Rakoczy, H. (2003) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/1468-0017.00217 · Cited by 579
Self-citationThe Human Adaptation for Culture
Tomasello, M. (1999) · Annual Review of Anthropology · doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.28.1.509 · Cited by 573
Self-citationThe faculty of language: what is it, who has it, and how did it evolve?
HAUSER, M. D., Chomsky, N., & Fitch, W. T. (2010) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511817755.002 · Cited by 583
Chimpanzees Recruit the Best Collaborators
Melis, A. P., Hare, B. A., & Tomasello, M. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1123007 · Cited by 574
Self-citationTrevarthen, C. (1999) · Musicae Scientiae · doi:10.1177/10298649000030s109 · Cited by 599
Cooperative Activities in Young Children and Chimpanzees
Warneken, F., Chen, F. S., & Tomasello, M. (2006) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00895.x · Cited by 559
Self-citationSignalers and Receivers in Animal Communication
Seyfarth, R. M., & Cheney, D. L. (2002) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145121 · Cited by 547
Human facial expressions as adaptations: Evolutionary questions in facial expression research
Schmidt, K. L., & Cohn, J. F. (2001) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.20001 · Cited by 560
Evolutionary Consequences of Fallback Foods
Marshall, A. J., & Wrangham, R. W. (2007) · International Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1007/s10764-007-9218-5 · Cited by 538
Social Components of Fitness in Primate Groups
Silk, J. B. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1140734 · Cited by 532
Hurley, S. (2008) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x07003123 · Cited by 512
Nichols, S. (2004) · doi:10.1093/0195169344.001.0001 · Cited by 522
The evolution of primate general and cultural intelligence
Reader, S. M., Hager, Y., & Laland, K. N. (2011) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0342 · Cited by 496
Elevated gene expression levels distinguish human from non-human primate brains
Cáceres, M., Lachuer, J., Zapala, M. A., Redmond, J. C., Kudo, L., Geschwind, D. H., Lockhart, D. J., Preuss, T. M., & Barlow, C. (2003) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2135499100 · Cited by 491
The evolution of animal ‘cultures’ and social intelligence
Whiten, A., & van Schaik, C. P. (2007) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2006.1998 · Cited by 478
Cognitive ornithology: the evolution of avian intelligence
Emery, N. J. (2005) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2005.1736 · Cited by 479
A system for relational reasoning in human prefrontal cortex
Waltz, J. A., Knowlton, B. J., Holyoak, K. J., Boone, K. B., Mishkin, F. S., de Menezes Santos, M., Thomas, C. R., & Miller, B. L. (1999) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00118 · Cited by 472
Human cumulative culture: a comparative perspective
Dean, L. G., Vale, G. L., Laland, K. N., Flynn, E., & Kendal, R. L. (2013) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/brv.12053 · Cited by 473
Skill and Cognition in Stone Tool Production: An Ethnographic Case Study from Irian Jaya
Stout, D. (2002) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/342638 · Cited by 326
Situated Engineering Learning: Bridging Engineering Education Research and the Learning Sciences
Johri, A., & Olds, B. (2011) · Journal of Engineering Education · doi:10.1002/j.2168-9830.2011.tb00007.x · Cited by 450
Symbolic Control of Visual Attention
Hommel, B., Pratt, J., Colzato, L., & Godijn, R. (2001) · Psychology Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00367 · Cited by 453
Unwilling Versus Unable: Infants' Understanding of Intentional Action.
Behne, T., Carpenter, M., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2005) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/0012-1649.41.2.328 · Cited by 394
Self-citation‘Unwilling’ versus ‘unable’: chimpanzees’ understanding of human intentional action
Call, J., Hare, B. A., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2004) · Developmental Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00368.x · Cited by 388
Self-citationBrain growth, life history, and cognition in primate and human evolution
LEIGH, S. R. (2004) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.20012 · Cited by 374
Leavens, D. A., Russell, J. L., & Hopkins, W. D. (2005) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00845.x · Cited by 392
Diversification and cumulative evolution in New Caledonian crow tool manufacture
Hunt, G. R., & Gray, R. D. (2003) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2302 · Cited by 363
A natural history of the human mind: tracing evolutionary changes in brain and cognition
Sherwood, C. C., Subiaul, F., & Zawidzki, T. W. (2008) · Journal of Anatomy · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00868.x · Cited by 377
Space in Language and Cognition
Levinson, S. C. (2003) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511613609 · Cited by 1,584
Comprehension of human communicative signs in pet dogs (Canis familiaris).
Soproni, K., Miklósi, Á., Topál, J., & Csányi, V. (2001) · Journal of comparative psychology · doi:10.1037/0735-7036.115.2.122 · Cited by 366
The human socio-cognitive niche and its evolutionary origins
Whiten, A., & Erdal, D. (2012) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0114 · Cited by 325
Whiten, A., Horner, V., Litchfield, C., & Marshall-Pescini, S. (2004) · Learning & Behavior · doi:10.3758/bf03196005 · Cited by 553
Social cognition by food-caching corvids. The western scrub-jay as a natural psychologist
Clayton, N. S., Dally, J. M., & Emery, N. J. (2007) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2006.1992 · Cited by 326
An Evolutionarily Informed Education Science
GEARY, D. C. (2008) · Educational Psychologist · doi:10.1080/00461520802392133 · Cited by 324
Suddendorf, T., & Whiten, A. (2001) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.127.5.629 · Cited by 326
The cognitive basis of model-based reasoning in science
Nersessian, N. J. (2002) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511613517.008 · Cited by 324
Dunbar, R. (2003) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1092116 · Cited by 314
We Don’t Need a Microscope to Explore the Chimpanzee's Mind
Povinelli, D. J., & Vonk, J. M. (2004) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0017.2004.00244.x · Cited by 322
Genty, É., Breuer, T., Hobaiter, C., & Byrne, R. W. (2009) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-009-0213-4 · Cited by 330
Culture and Cognitive Development
Tomasello, M. (2000) · Current Directions in Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00056 · Cited by 298
Self-citationThe absence of reward induces inequity aversion in dogs
Range, F., Horn, L., Viranyi, Z., & Huber, L. (2009) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0810957105 · Cited by 208
The behavioral ecology and conservation of the orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus): A tale of two islands
Delgado, R. A., & van Schaik, C. P. (2000) · Evolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews · doi:10.1002/1520-6505(2000)9:5 · Cited by 232
Why do gestures matter? Sensuous cognition and the palpability of mathematical meanings
Radford, L. (2008) · Educational Studies in Mathematics · doi:10.1007/s10649-008-9127-3 · Cited by 295
Social Conventions in Wild White‐faced Capuchin Monkeys
Perry, S., Baker, M., Fedigan, L. M., Gros-Louis, J. J., Jack, K., MacKinnon, K. C., Manson, J. H., Panger, M. A., Pyle, K., & Rose-Wiles, L. (2003) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/345825 · Cited by 306
Risk of collective failure provides an escape from the tragedy of the commons
Santos, F. C., & Pacheco, J. M. (2011) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1015648108 · Cited by 286
Elements of episodic-like memory in animals.
Clayton, N. S., Griffiths, D. P., Emery, N. J., & Dickinson, A. (2001) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2001.0947 · Cited by 289
Blaisdell, A. P., Sawa, K., Leising, K. J., & Waldmann, M. R. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1121872 · Cited by 294
Changes in cell-cycle kinetics during the development and evolution of primate neocortex
Kornack, D. R., & RAKIC, P. T. (1998) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.95.3.1242 · Cited by 292
The Cognitive Basis of Science
Carruthers, P., Stich, S., & Siegal, M. (2002) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511613517 · Cited by 287
Primate Culture and Social Learning
Whiten, A. (2000) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1207/s15516709cog2403_6 · Cited by 277
The effect of social engagement on 24‐month‐olds’ imitation from live and televised models
Nielsen, M., Simcock, G. P., & Jenkins, L. (2008) · Developmental Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00722.x · Cited by 300
Horner, V., Whiten, A., Flynn, E., & de Waal, F. Β. Μ. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0606015103 · Cited by 264
Empirical approaches to the study of language evolution
Fitch, W. T. (2017) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-017-1236-5 · Cited by 263
How does cognition evolve? Phylogenetic comparative psychology
MacLean, E. L., Matthews, L. J., Hare, B. A., Nunn, C. L., Anderson, R. C., Aureli, F., Brannon, E. M., Call, J., Drea, C. M., Emery, N. J., et al. (2012) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-011-0448-8 · Cited by 260
Self-citationInterspecies semantic communication in two forest primates
Zuberbühler, K. (2000) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1061 · Cited by 258
The Birth of Words: Ten-Month-Olds Learn Words Through Perceptual Salience
Pruden, S. M., Hirsh‐Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hennon, E. A. (2006) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00869.x · Cited by 260
Call, J. (2004) · Journal of comparative psychology · doi:10.1037/0735-7036.118.2.232 · Cited by 254
Self-citationThompson, R. K. R., & Oden, D. L. (2000) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1207/s15516709cog2403_2 · Cited by 280
Stich, S. P., Laurence, S., & Carruthers, P. (2005) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179675.001.0001 · Cited by 265
Spontaneous trait inferences are bound to actors' faces: Evidence from a false recognition paradigm.
Todorov, A. T., & Uleman, J. S. (2002) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.83.5.1051 · Cited by 254
The Existential Theory of Mind
Bering, J. M. (2002) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.6.1.3 · Cited by 273
Evolving intentions for social interaction: from entrainment to joint action
Knoblich, G., & Sebanz, N. (2008) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0006 · Cited by 269
Mannu, M., & Ottoni, E. B. (2008) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.20642 · Cited by 246
Audience drives male songbird response to partner's voice
Vignal, C., Mathevon, N., & Mottin, S. (2004) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature02645 · Cited by 236
Sperber, D. (2005) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179675.003.0004 · Cited by 245
Differences in the Cognitive Skills of Bonobos and Chimpanzees
Herrmann, E., Hare, B. A., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2010) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012438 · Cited by 236
Self-citationChimpanzee gaze following in an object-choice task
Call, J., Hare, B. A., & Tomasello, M. (1998) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s100710050013 · Cited by 232
Self-citationGestural communication in young gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla ): Gestural repertoire, learning, and use
Pika, S., Liebal, K., & Tomasello, M. (2003) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.10097 · Cited by 235
Self-citationThe Evolution of Language: A Comparative Review
Fitch, W. T. (2005) · Biology & Philosophy · doi:10.1007/s10539-005-5597-1 · Cited by 137
Human and nonhuman primate brains: Are they allometrically scaled versions of the same design?
Rilling, J. K. (2006) · Evolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews · doi:10.1002/evan.20095 · Cited by 214
Ravens, Corvus corax , follow gaze direction of humans around obstacles
Bugnyar, T., Stöwe, M., & Heinrich, B. (2004) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2738 · Cited by 224
Nánay, B. (2013) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199695379.001.0001 · Cited by 225
Hampton, R. R., Zivin, A., & Murray, E. A. (2004) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-004-0215-1 · Cited by 212
Deaner, R. O., van Schaik, C. P., & Johnson, V. (2006) · Evolutionary Psychology · doi:10.1177/147470490600400114 · Cited by 212
Gestural communication in subadult bonobos (Pan paniscus): Repertoire and use
Pika, S., Liebal, K., & Tomasello, M. (2005) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.20096 · Cited by 207
Self-citationRough‐and‐tumble play as a window on animal communication
Palagi, E., Burghardt, G. M., Smuts, B., Cordoni, G., Dall'Olio, S., Fouts, H. N., Řeháková‐Petrů, M., Siviy, S. M., & Pellis, S. M. (2016) · Biological Reviews · doi:10.1111/brv.12172 · Cited by 209
Long-term reciprocation of grooming in wild West African chimpanzees
Gomes, C., Mundry, R., & Boesch, C. (2008) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1324 · Cited by 209
Metadata
- Authors
- Tomasello, M., & Call, J.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- Publisher
- Oxford University PressNew York, NY
- Published
- 1997-09-18
- OpenAlex
- W4388278123
- Cited by
- 1,491
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 68 · 2016: 54 · 2015: 93 · 2014: 48 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 61
- FWCI
- 29.05
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- primate cognition, non-human primates, foraging behavior, social cognition, competition and cooperation, primate social behavior, comparative cognition, cognitive evolution, theory of mind
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
