The Mentalities of Gorillas and Orangutans
Comparative Perspectives

This interesting 1999 study sets gorilla and orangutan cognitive abilities in context with the other great apes and humans.

Sue Taylor Parker (Edited by), Robert W. Mitchell (Edited by), H. Lyn Miles (Edited by)

9780521031936, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 November 2006

432 pages, 59 b/w illus. 49 tables
23.3 x 15.5 x 2.1 cm, 0.609 kg

'… and the present volume will go a long way towards bringing gorillas and orangutans back into the limelight of modern comparative cognition. For that the editors and contributors should be commended.' James R. Anderson, The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

Research on the mental abilities of chimpanzees and bonobos has been widely celebrated and used in reconstructions of human evolution. In contrast, less attention has been paid to the abilities of gorillas and orangutans. This 1999 volume aims to help complete the picture of hominoid cognition by bringing together the work on gorillas and orangutans and setting it in comparative perspective. The introductory chapters set the evolutionary context for comparing cognition in gorillas and orangutans to that of chimpanzees, bonobos and humans. The remaining chapters focus primarily on the kinds and levels of intelligence displayed by orangutans and gorillas compared to other great apes, including performances in the classic domains of tool use and tool making, imitation, self-awareness, social communication and symbol use. All those wanting more information on the mental abilities of these sometimes neglected, but important primates will find this book a treasure trove.

List of contributors
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. Comparative Evolutionary and Developmental Perspectives on Gorillas and Orangutans: 1. Hominid family values: morphological and molecular data on relations among the great apes and humans David R. Begun
2. The life history and development of great apes in comparative perspective Sue T. Parker
3. The frontal lobes of the great apes with a focus on the gorilla and the orangutan Katerina Semendeferi
Part II. Cognition and Tool Use in Gorillas and Orangutans: 4. Intelligent tool use in wild Sumatran orangutans Elizabeth A. Fox, Arnold F. Sitompul and Carel P. van Schaik
5. Orangutans' imitation of tool use: a cognitive interpretation Anne E. Russon
6. Object manipulation and skill organization in the complex food preparation of mountain gorillas Richard W. Byrne
7. Development of sensorimotor intelligence in infant gorillas: the manipulation of objects in problem-solving and exploration Juan C. Gómez
8. Tool use in captive gorillas Sarah T. Boysen, Valerie A. Kuhlmeier, Peter Halliday and Yolanda M. Halliday
9. A survey of tool use in zoo gorillas Sue T. Parker, Mary Kerr, Hal Markowitz and Jay Gould
Part III. Communication in Gorillas and Orangutans: 10. Symbolic communication with and by great apes H. Lyn Miles
11. The development of spontaneous gestural communication in a group of zoo-living lowland gorillas Joanne E. Tanner and Richard W. Byrne
12. Early sign-language acquisition: comparisons between children and gorillas John B. Bonvillian and Francine G. P. Patterson
13. Early sign performance in a free-ranging, adult orangutan Gary L. Shapiro and Biruté M. F. Galdikas
Part IV. Social Cognition in Gorillas and Orangutans: 14. Comparative aspects of mirror self-recognition in great apes Karyl B. Swartz, Dena Sarauw, and Siân Evans
15. Deception and concealment as strategic script violation in great apes and humans Robert W. Mitchell
16. Levels of imitation and cognitive mechanisms in orangutans Joseph Call
17. Parental encouragement in Gorilla in comparative perspective: implications for social cognition and the evolution of teaching Andrew Whiten
18. The development of social roles in the play of an infant gorilla and its relationship to sensorimotor intellectual development Sue T. Parker
Part V. Epilogue: 19. The mentalities of gorillas and orangutans in phlyogenetic perspective Sue T. Parker and Robert W. Mitchell, Index of authors
Index of subjects.

Subject Areas: Primates [PSVW79], Evolution [PSAJ], Cognition & cognitive psychology [JMR], Behavioural theory [Behaviourism JMAL]