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> we are able to recognize individuals of other primate species by face at a very early age, but lose this ability soon I don't buy this. I visit the Primate R

> we are able to recognize individuals of other primate species by face at a very early age, but lose this ability soon I don't buy this. I visit the Primate Rescue Centre (Monkey World) in Dorset, UK, and can recognise several individual chimps and orangutans by their facial features (especially if you include ears). Discriminators include size of brow ridges, facial colouration, distance between nose and mouth, eye separation, etc etc. Here are some facial shots of several individuals to illustrate the range of variations. https://monkeyworld.org/our-primates/primate-groups/bachelor-chimpanzees/ https://monkeyworld.org/our-primates/primate-groups/bachelor... https://monkeyworld.org/our-primates/primate-groups/hananyas-chimpanzees/ https://monkeyworld.org/our-primates/primate-groups/hananyas... If you factor in body mass and musculature and other bodily features the differences between individuals can be dramatic.

w0de0 6y ago
If you’ll permit me, your identification sounds very much like a conscious exercise in reason: calling out and remembering unique physical features as mnemonic devices. That’s different than the subconscious facial recognition our brains pull off for humans; I doubt you find yourself needing to look at the president’s ears to tell if it’s Bush or Reagan.
- KineticLensman 6y ago
  > I doubt you find yourself needing to look at the president’s ears to tell if it’s Bush or Reagan Indeed! But I was really just listing the discriminators for the benefit of people who perhaps haven't looked at chimps very hard. For a few of the chimps, I can look and immediately say "that's Bart" or "that's Thelma". This may of course be my mind having internalised a few distinct 'settings' of the discriminators. But the overall effect, coming back to my original point, is that apparently without conscious thought I can recognise specific individual non-humans. The Primate Care Staff, who work with these individuals 24/7, have very good at-a-glance recognition for the entire community.

w0de0 6y ago

If you’ll permit me, your identification sounds very much like a conscious exercise in reason: calling out and remembering unique physical features as mnemonic devices. That’s different than the subconscious facial recognition our brains pull off for humans; I doubt you find yourself needing to look at the president’s ears to tell if it’s Bush or Reagan.

KineticLensman 6y ago
> I doubt you find yourself needing to look at the president’s ears to tell if it’s Bush or Reagan Indeed! But I was really just listing the discriminators for the benefit of people who perhaps haven't looked at chimps very hard. For a few of the chimps, I can look and immediately say "that's Bart" or "that's Thelma". This may of course be my mind having internalised a few distinct 'settings' of the discriminators. But the overall effect, coming back to my original point, is that apparently without conscious thought I can recognise specific individual non-humans. The Primate Care Staff, who work with these individuals 24/7, have very good at-a-glance recognition for the entire community.