The study of great ape cognition is essential for understanding what makes humans unique, yet it has historically been hindered by small sample sizes and restricted access to raw data. To overcome these barriers, a consortium of over 100 researchers has unveiled the EVApeCognition Dataset, the most comprehensive collection of experimental studies on great ape cognition and behaviour ever assembled. The project, which includes Héctor M. Manrique as a co-author, aggregates 262 experimental datasets from 150 scientific publications. All the information originates from the prestigious Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center in Leipzig, Germany, covering a prolific 18-year period from 2004 to 2021.

Unlike single-study investigations, this repository allows researchers to explore the ontogeny and structure of cognition across tasks and species at an unprecedented scale. The records involve 81 individual apes, including chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans, who took part in tasks ranging from physical cognition, such as tool use and causal reasoning, to social cognition and communication. Because the vast majority of these individuals participated in multiple studies over many years, the dataset enables detailed longitudinal and correlational analyses that were previously unattainable in the field of primatology.

This resource has been designed to comply with FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—ensuring that the data is available for the entire scientific community to facilitate future meta-analyses. Each file has been standardised through rigorous technical processes and validated by the original authors to ensure precision and reliability. The researchers emphasise that this release is merely the first step of a continuous project that will grow with new literature, setting a roadmap for other institutions to share their findings and collectively build a more robust and transparent understanding of primate intelligence. By contributing to this global initiative, the Comparative Minds group reinforces its position at the forefront of the study of individual differences and cognitive evolution.

Reference: Sánchez-Amaro, A., Ebel van Wijk, S. J., Molenaar, C., Abuova, A., Mujica-Manrique, L., Leisterer-Peoples, S. M., ..., Manrique, H. M., ..., & Haun, D. B. M. (2026). EVApeCognition: An 18-Year Dataset of Great Ape Cognition. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07191-6