Summary: In a massive collaborative effort, researchers have released EVApeCognition, the largest and most comprehensive open-access dataset of great ape cognition ever compiled. The resource aggregates 262 experimental datasets from 150 different publications spanning nearly two decades.
By providing an unprecedented look at how our closest living relatives think, learn, and solve problems, this “Ape Atlas” offers a new lens through which to view the evolutionary blueprint of human intelligence.
Key Facts
- World’s Largest Dataset: EVApeCognition is now the largest open-access repository of great ape cognition, aggregating 262 datasets from 150 publications spanning 18 years.
- Massive Collaboration: Nearly 100 institutions standardized data from over 80 individual apes, solving the historical problem of small, disconnected sample sizes in primate research.
- Evolutionary Blueprint: By tracking apes from 2001 to 2020, the resource allows scientists to map the long-term development of mental abilities like problem-solving and memory.
- Open Science: The data is hosted on GitHub and was published in Nature (April 2026), specifically designed to help researchers unlock the origins of human intelligence.
Source: University of Sterling
A pioneering project led by researchers from the University of Stirling and the Max Planck Institute has opened the door for new insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, by compiling the largest dataset of great ape cognition available globally.
Studying great ape cognition, how the animals think, learn, and understand the world, is crucial for understanding the foundations of human cognitive abilities. However, work is often hindered by small sample sizes and restricted access to data.
Researchers at almost 100 institutions supported the creation of the Max Planck Institute-funded EVApeCognition Dataset – with hopes high that the resource could enhance scientific understanding of how human intelligence has evolved.
Psychologist Dr Alejandro Sanchez-Amaro from the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences led efforts to develop the open-access dataset, which is the largest and most comprehensive collection of experimental studies of great apes’ cognition and behaviour available globally – bringing together 262 experimental datasets from 150 publications.
Dr Sanchez-Amaro explained: “In our field, ape participation per study is usually low. Most studies therefore focus on specific questions and tend to produce relatively small datasets.
“Compiling an open-access dataset involving over 80 different great apes participating in over 150 studies over an extended period of time is quite unique in comparative psychology.
“We expect this dataset to be used for both research and educational purposes in psychology, biology and disciplines related to human evolution. A testament to the uniqueness and value of our dataset is the collaboration of over 100 co-authors who contributed their data and helped us standardise it for future use.”
As members of the Hominidae family, humans share a recent evolutionary history with other great apes. Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives, having diverged from a common ancestor with humans around six million years ago.
The new resource brings together data from studies published between 2001 and 2020 at the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Centre – enabling researchers to examine how great apes’ thinking develops, how their mental abilities are organised, and how they differ from one individual to another, on an unprecedented scale.
The release of the dataset coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Centre, which was established by the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology and Leipzig Zoo.
Principal Investigator, Dr Daniel Haun, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said: “For science, the dataset’s significance lies in its scale, accessibility, and continuity.
“By bringing together numerous small-scale studies to create a standardised resource, EVApeCognition lays the groundwork for answering broader questions about cognition that were previously challenging to address. It also strengthens comparative research into the evolutionary roots of human intelligence.”
Data was gathered, standardised and subject to a rigorous internal review before being published, with hopes high that it will inspire other institutions to adopt similar practices to help build a stronger collective understanding.
Dr Sanchez-Amaro added: “We hope that teachers and lecturers can use our dataset for a range of projects within the natural sciences.
“This resource will also allow researchers to track long‑term patterns and explore developmental questions that are impossible to answer with single studies.”
The manuscript EVApeCognition: An 18-year dataset of great ape cognition is published in Nature, with a dedicated GitHub repository also launched containing the data. The project was funded by the Max Planck Institute.
Key Questions Answered:
A: We share about 99% of our DNA with chimps and bonobos. By finding the “limit” of their cognitive abilities, we can identify exactly which mental skills are uniquely human, and when those skills likely emerged in our evolutionary history.
A: It is a massive, standardized database. Computer scientists are already looking at using this data to train “biologically inspired” AI models that mimic how primates, rather than just computers, learn to solve puzzles and navigate social groups.
A: Yes! It is completely open-access on GitHub. While it’s designed for researchers and educators, anyone with an interest in primatology can dive into 20 years of cognitive experiments.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this cognition and evolution research news
Author: Fraser Clarke
Source: University of Stirling
Contact: Fraser Clarke – University of Stirling
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“VApeCognition: An 18-Year Dataset of Great Ape Cognition” by Alejandro Sánchez-Amaro, Sonja J. Ebel van Wijk, Carin Molenaar, Akzira Abuova, Lizbeth Mujica-Manrique, Sarah M. Leisterer-Peoples, Bret Beheim, Luke Maurits, Anna Albiach-Serrano, Matthias Allritz, Nazli Altınok, Federica Amici, Alice MI Auersperg, Filippo Aureli, Elisa Bandini, Jochen Barth, Leïla Benziad, Bettina E. Bläsing, Manuel Bohn, Marie Bourjade, Juliane Bräuer, Marie-Hélène Broihanne, Sarah F. Brosnan, Nereida Bueno-Guerra, Thomas Bugnyar, David Buttelmann, Frances Buttelmann, Trix Cacchione, Malinda Carpenter, Fernando Colmenares, Catherine Crockford, Katherine A. Cronin, África de las Heras, Arianna De Marco, Sarah E. DeTroy, Valérie Dufour, Shona Duguid, Robin I. M. Dunbar, Johanna Eckert, Jan M. Engelmann, Joel Fagot, Julia Fischer, Sofia Ingrid Fredrika Forss, Martina Funk, György Gergely, Julia R. Greenberg, Johannes Großmann, Sebastian Grüneisen, Marta Halina, Daniel Hanus, Sarah R. Heilbronner, Christophe Heintz, Robert Hepach, Esther Herrmann, Satoshi Hirata, Alenka Hribar, Gabriele Janzen, Juliane Kaminski, Patricia Kanngiesser, Fumihiro Kano, Katharina C. Kirchhofer, Hagen Knofe, Kathrin S. Kopp, Christopher Krupenye, Isabelle Barbara Laumer, Stephen C. Levinson, Ulf Liszkowski, Héctor M. Manrique, Gema Martin-Ordas, Emma Suvi McEwen, Richard T. Moore, Enric Munar, Marcos Nadal, Christian Nawroth, Suska Nolte, Marie Pelé, Patrizia Potì, Hannes Rakoczy, Julia Riedel, Amélie Romain, Federico Rossano, Yvan I. Russell, Gloria Sabbatini, Marie Schäfer, Marina Scheumann, Martin Schmelz, Benjamin Schmid, Vanesa Schmitt, Carla Sebastián-Enesco, Amanda Madeleine Seed, Chikako Suda-King, Tibor Tauzin, Sebastian Tempelmann, Claudio Tennie, Valentina Truppa, Jana Uher, Amrisha Vaish, Edwin J.C. van Leeuwen, Elisabetta M. Visalberghi, Christoph J. Völter, Victoria Vonau, Claudia A. F. Wascher, Roman M. Wittig, Wouter Wolf, Michael Tomasello, Katja Liebal, Josep Call & Daniel B. M. Haun. Scientific Data
DOI:10.1038/s41597-026-07191-6
Abstract
VApeCognition: An 18-Year Dataset of Great Ape Cognition
The study of great ape cognition offers insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, but is hindered by small sample sizes and restricted access to data.
To address this, we present the EVApeCognition Dataset, a publicly available resource comprising 262 experimental datasets from 150 scientific publications from the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center (2004–2021) in Leipzig, Germany.
Eighty-one apes participated in 150 studies, with a majority (N = 78) participating in more than one study.
Publication of the dataset aims to make these unique datasets accessible for future meta-analyses and correlational analyses, helping us better understand how our great ape relatives think, learn, and behave.
