At the age of 49, the chimpanzee Ai passed away, known for her remarkable abilities in recognizing letters, numbers, and hieroglyphs. This was reported by the Center for the Study of Human Behavioral Evolution, formerly known as the Primate Research Institute, at Kyoto University, according to information from RIA Novosti.
“Chimpanzee Ai, who contributed to research in the evolution of thought and soul for many years, died on January 9 surrounded by her caregivers; the cause of death was age-related changes and organ failure,” noted the institute. Since her arrival at the research institution in 1977, Ai participated in a number of projects, including the study of the evolutionary origins of language and research related to learning, memory, and cognition. Her work laid the foundation for understanding the "mind of chimpanzees" and reflections on human evolution.
Chimpanzee Ai earned a reputation as "genius" due to her outstanding learning skills and curious mind. She could recognize letters and numbers, and accurately selected the hieroglyph for "green" when shown the color green. There is a known case where she, upon finding a forgotten key, was able to unlock the door of her cage and escape. In 1985, her achievements were described in the scientific journal Nature.
