PERSONAL PORTRAIT EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY Brian BrianHare Hare

he clipping from the German ing that fits in well at its location on The Max Planck researcher began Tnewspaper BILD on Brian Hare’s Deutscher Platz. Inside, life is inter- studying at the psychology depart- office door is a real eye-catcher. It national; it is the Max Planck Insti- ment of Emory University in Atlanta shows a photograph of the Ameri- tute with the largest percentage of and was thrilled. There were “cool can researcher with a fox, with a researchers from abroad. The five di- lectures” in psychology and anthro- short text below – “full of mis- rectors alone come from five differ- pology, and the student whose high takes,” as Hare comments. What was ent countries. No one really notices school grades were “not particularly a serious scientist like Hare doing in that Brian Hare speaks only a little outstanding” now garnered only the Germany’s most popular daily German. best marks. At Emory he met his tabloid? The article’s headline re- most important teacher: Michael PRACTICAL TRAINING IN THE veals the reason: “Foxes are the bet- (“Mike”) Tomasello, professor of psy- ECUADORIAN JUNGLE ter dogs,” it says. Brian Hare, born chology. Tomasello is one of the in 1976, investigates the social be- Hare was at the institute earlier, from founding Directors of the institute in havior of dogs, and man’s best 2001 to 2002, to collect data for his Leipzig and, as Director of the De- friend is always a good topic for a Ph.D. In 2004, he returned to Leipzig partment for Developmental Psy- wide audience. even though both Harvard and chology, now Hare’s boss. But Hare is by no means only a Emory offered him a position. “For “Mike took me under his wing,” dog researcher. His Ph.D., gained what I do, there is no better place Hare recalls. “He gave me, a 19- at Harvard University in 2003, iden- than this institute,” he raves. “No year-old newcomer, a research pro- tifies him as a biological anthropol- other research establishments can ject and simply let me get on with ogist. He studied psychology and an- compare, not even the best American it.” The project dealt with the ques- thropology, first at Emory University, ones.” Ultimately, the scientist wants tion of how chimpanzees solve spe- then at Harvard. Today, Hare conducts to discover things about humans. So cific social problems. “They weren’t research at the Max Planck Institute how did he end up dealing with very good at it, and I was pretty sure for Evolutionary Anthropology in the dogs? That was “pure chance.” Even that my dog could do better.” Department for Comparative and De- as a child, he loved animals, keeping Tomasello doubted it, and so Hare velopmental Psychology. His group tortoises and catching snakes. When became a canine researcher. He per- calls itself 3chimps and practices he was nine years old he was en- formed a simple experiment in the “hominoid psychology.” thralled by a film about the primate garage with his parents’ two dogs: Brian Hare has thus defined a new researcher Jane Goodall: “I sat on when the animals weren’t watching, research field: the term hominoid our old couch in front of our old TV he hid a dog biscuit underneath one psychology isn’t included in any dic- and thought: Wow, that’s what I of two plastic cups. He then pointed tionary and, so far, is found only on want to do!” he remembers. to the correct cup while looking di- the Internet in connection with the Brian Hare is grateful to his biolo- rectly at the dog. The animal headed Leipzig-based researcher. “The goal gy teacher, who encouraged his ef- straight for the cup with the food. of our work is to compare the psy- forts. His teacher helped him arrange This experiment proved that dogs are chology of hominoids, or large and an internship at Yerkes Primate Cen- apparently very good at recognizing small apes,” says Hare. In particular, ter in Atlanta and a three-week stay human gestures and using them for he wants to discover how the social- in the Ecuadorian jungle. A visit to their own benefit. As later tests cognitive capabilities of humans the Galapagos Islands when he was showed, they clearly have a better have developed since the time when 14 years old opened his eyes to Dar- grasp of this than do chimpanzees or the evolutionary path between hu- win’s theory of evolution. A biogra- wolves. It is now also known that mans, chimpanzees and bonobos phy of this major English researcher this ability is not learned, but genet- As a student, BRIAN HARE did experiments in his parents’ garage. Working with their

NTHROPOLOGY (the 3chimps) diverged. At the lies on his desk today, surrounded by ically anchored: puppies of various A dogs, he showed that these animals are more adept than chimpanzees at using humans to solve Leipzig-based Max Planck Institute, a battery of empty Coke bottles. The age groups have no problem reading Hare has found his ideal research bottles are even lined up on the win- human signals in such experiments –

AX LANCK NSTITUTE FOR VOLUTIONARY NTHROPOLOGY VOLUTIONARY social problems. Today, at the M P I E A , E field. It is one of the institutes estab- dow ledge, together with a flag of even at only nine weeks old. the American scientist investigates the interplay between intelligence and social behavior – FOR lished in eastern Germany after re- the city of Leipzig. “When you come Hare’s garage experiment from : MPI unification. The researchers are from Atlanta, Coke is part of your 1995 was the very first experiment HOTOS

as only the latter of the two helped humans develop their sense (and sensibility). P housed in an impressive new build- daily diet,” explains Hare. of this kind. The new scientific terri-

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sire to attack, a potential social part- stitute, this is where “Pongoland” ner – in other words, changes its was created. With some 30,000 temperament – its social intelligence square meters, it is the world’s largest seems to increase. enclosure for apes outside of Africa. The search for food can be so simple: With a point of a What has happened with the Its core is a huge tropics hall, with finger, the puppy finds its way to the cup with the food. Siberian foxes should also be valid five spacious outdoor areas contain- for pet dogs. Their domestication ing trees, caves and streams grouped tory that Hare had entered with this they know. In short, they behave like over the many years of man and dog around it. Visitors see neither cages experiment helped him achieve his pet dogs. Their appearance has cohabitation has so changed their nor tiled walls. The primates live in first publication. And the young stu- changed, too: they have floppy ears, wolf temperament that both now tol- an environment that resembles their dent learned something else: Michael a short tail and coats with various erate one another. This process could natural habitat. Tomasello was delighted that he, the markings. Their skeleton is weaker also be significant for human evolu- APES LOVE professor, was wrong. “A great scien- and their bones and teeth are smaller. tion: “Our hypothesis,” says Hare, “is THE EXPERIMENTS tist is pleased when he is not correct. Their stress apparatus and hormone that a change in human tempera- He’s then learned something new,” balance is fundamentally different ment paved the way for human so- What visitors – whose numbers have says Hare. This is one of the most from that of their wild cousins. cio-cognitive evolution.” In other doubled to a million a year since the important things he has learned The Siberian researchers also keep words, the evolution of human levels ape house was built – call Pon- from his professor. a control group of foxes that were of tolerance allowed our species in- goland, the Max Planck researchers Just as well that the kids don’t share the quirks of their elders: Chimpanzee orphans Brian Hare has already traveled not selected for their lack of fear of telligence to evolve.” call the Wolfgang Köhler Center for suckle together on their bottles in Tchimpounga Sanctuary. Older chimps eat alone. widely in his relatively short 10-year humans, which makes comparisons The zoo is Hare’s second office. In Primate Research. Behind the scenes career: his list includes stays in possible. “What we see with the fox- cooperation with the Max Planck In-are work and research rooms where abroad who are conducting research others and forge alliances. Chim- Rome and Leipzig, Siberia, Uganda, es is evolution at work,” the apes undergo tests – which they in Germany. The prize is well en- panzees raised in captivity have and the People’s Republic of Congo says Hare. “We know really enjoy, as Brian Hare relates: dowed: Hare received a generous learned hundreds of words. They use and the Democratic Republic of the the selective mecha- “Ultimately, they are always reward- sum of more than 800,000 euros, symbols and have, according to Congo. The reason: “Traditionally, a nism very well and can ed with something to eat.” Hare which he can invest in his research American anthropologist Christopher lab concentrates on one animal unambiguously retrace finds the Köhler Center fantastic: at his own discretion. Boehm, a “political intelligence” that species,” says Hare. “But if I want to differences between the “It’s the best around today.” But it He is using it to finance a simple allows them to gauge complicated know how one species evolved, I two groups back to it.” still can’t provide the opportunities infrastructure on Ngamba Island, power hierarchies. have to compare as many species as Hare investigated he finds in chimpanzee and bonobo and in Tchimpounga and Lola Ya, NO CANTEEN FOR possible.” It also gives him the op- whether social intelli- sanctuaries in Africa. which will benefit scientists from all CHIMPANZEES portunity to work at different re- gence had changed This is why he has transferred a over the world. “This is useful for us search institutions. with the domesticated part of his research to sanctuaries as well as the establishments there, After some thought, chimpanzees In Akademgorodok near Novosi- foxes. It had. The do- on Ngamba Island (Uganda) and which survive more or less on dona- have no problem finding food if, birsk in Russia, one of the scientific mesticated foxes were Tchimpounga (Congo), where 40 and tions and tourism,” he says. “Our re- say, a board lies flat on the ground towns established under Stalin, Hare clearly better than fox- 120 chimpanzees live, respectively. search funds are a third source of in- worked at the Institute for Psycholo- es in the control group He only recently returned from the come.” In return, the sanctuaries gy and Genetics. There, a unique ex- when it came to using Lola Ya Sanctuary for bonobos, lo- provide researchers a range of ad- Adjacent room periment has been in progress since human gestures and cated near Kinshasa, the capital of vantages: “In Leipzig, we have 22 1959: the artificial domestication of signs. “What is vital in the Democratic Republic of Congo. chimpanzees, and in Africa almost Adjacent room the silver fox. The foxes are bred this project is that the For Hare, these “peace-loving apes,” 200,” Hare estimates. With a larger based on a single characteristic: does foxes were not selected of which only a small population number of animals, a set of ex- an individual animal show fear of for their intelligence,” still exists, are a matter of the heart: periments can naturally be com- Door and key

people? If so, it is not bred further. says Hare, commenting “For anthropologists, there is no pleted faster than at the Köhler Board with food

on the results. Selection task more urgent than understand- Center, where there is a long Door and key PET FOXES WITH focused only on ing the psychology of bonobos be- waiting list. FLOPPY EARS whether the animals fore they potentially become ex- Chimpanzees can do a lot: they Testing room The results are incredible. After just showed fear or aggres- tinct,” he says. solve problems by reason, under- several dozen generations, the behav- sion toward humans or, The Sofja Kovalevskaja Prize, stand cause and effect, and use ior of the foxes has changed com- to put it positively, awarded by the Alexander von Hum- tools. They are probably aware of Apes don’t pull together. Only if they can’t grab both rope ends themselves do they go and fetch another pletely. They are not afraid of people. whether they tolerated boldt Foundation in 2004, came just themselves. They can learn new Bonobo babies in Lola Ya sanctuary are also from one of the bolted rooms to help pull the board They bark. They whine and even wag people. If an animal cause for the primate researcher to celebrate – at the right time. This award honors things from watching their group- with the food nearer. But then they choose the helper their tails when they see someone loses its fear of, or de- there are only a few of these animals left. successful young scientists from mates, identify with others, mislead who has already proven itself to be the better one.

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a range of experiments: tem.” This statement is still a hy- their chimpanzee-like ancestors in searchers in Leipzig talk about “con- ANS : H

for example, when a pothesis, the researcher explains, but that they became more tolerant of vergent evolution.” The dog can help HOTO P feeding bowl is placed he is convinced that the social intel- their fellow species. This change in them understand the evolutionary at each end of a three- ligence of an animal species does not the human temperament paved the processes that led to human-like co- meter-long board. “If depend on brain size, but on tem- way for further socio-cognitive evo- operation and communication. both dishes contain perament. lution.” In an article still to be pub- “Ultimately,” Brian Hare con- food, two chimpanzees lished, Hare and Tomasello put for- cludes, “we want to find out what SEX BEFORE will sometimes eat to- ward the hypothesis that this step makes the human mind unique.” DINNER gether,” says Hare. “But was achieved by a kind of self-tam- That may take a while. The scientist Hare and assistant Susanne Mauritz have much to if I, as a chimpanzee, Hare’s ideas have been reinforced by ing whereby over-aggressive or was recently married – in Australia, discuss – and often an audience of curious primates. were of a lower rank his research on bonobos at the Lola power-obsessed members of a group his wife’s home. Having met in than the other one, I Ya Sanctuary. Here, there are 45 ani- were killed or driven out of the Africa, their shared interests gerous for his career. He would then would take care not to mals, while at the Köhler Center group by conspecifics. strengthened their bond. be over-qualified for a junior profes- eat out of my dish. I there are only 6 – in Hare’s opinion, Whether this theory is correct will The 30-year-old has about two sorship, and there are very few offers know that I could then too few to really understand this be shown by further comparative re- more years at the Max Planck Insti- around for better positions. expect a beating.” chimpanzee species, as bonobos live search on the 3chimps – humans, tute in Leipzig. This foreseeable end, Brian Hare suspects that he will If only one of the in large groups with 40 to 50 mem- chimpanzees and bonobos. “Man’s as he says, is the only sad thing end up in the US again: Duke and bowls contains food, it bers. “Bonobos are extraordinarily best friend” will still remain on about his current activities: “It will Harvard Universities have already is very, very unusual social. Chimpanzees, for the most Hare’s agenda: dogs have developed be difficult to find a position that is offered him jobs. He is still waiting that both animals part, live alone,” says Hare. “They special social skills that have much as interesting as the one here.” Al- for the first offer from a German would eat together. If meet up in groups of 4 to 5 for a day in common with the social behavior though he could stay for an addi- university. Such an offer, he says, chimps can eat togeth- and then go their own way for the of humans. That is why the re- tional four years, that would be dan- could be tempting. HEINZ HOREIS er, then they can also rest of the week. Bonobos, on the work together. This is other hand, are always together.” shown in the following The experiment with the two experiment: the experi- feeding bowls on the board takes an Who’s studying who? In Tchimpounga Sanctuary, menter places the board entirely different course with bono- Brian Hare sometimes experiences role-swapping. with both bowls behind bos than it does with chimpanzees. a screen so that the “As soon as the two animals in- and a second board – with the food chimpanzees can’t reach it. Howev- volved notice that there’s something behind it – is set up. Dogs fail this er, the ends of a rope with which the to eat, they first indulge in sex. experiment miserably. What is sur- board can be pulled nearer lie on the Crazy sex,” exclaims Brian Hare: prising is that chimpanzees usually ground in front of each ape. This “Two males – they have sex. Two fail at the tasks dogs perform so works only if both animals pull on females – they also have sex.” They well: finding hidden food with the their end at the same time. If only hug and squeeze each other and rub help of human clues. one of them pulls only on one end, their genitals together. Sometimes According to Brian Hare, chim- that ape ends up with just the rope an animal has an orgasm. But most- panzees lack those socio-commu- in its hands. ly sex is a friendly gesture. Then nicative abilities of dogs. “It’s their The animals quickly grasp the pur- they eat. They empty the bowl to- lack of tolerance that makes it so pose and function of the rope, but gether. Every one of them – with no difficult for chimpanzees to solve often refuse to cooperate. “Only exceptions. If there are two filled tasks cooperatively,” explains the re- those chimpanzees that can eat to- bowls, both animals empty one and searcher. For example, chimpanzees gether will work together to pull the then the other – together. Owing to seldom eat together. “A canteen for board nearer,” says Hare. In other their great tolerance, Hare believes chimpanzees is unthinkable! A situa- words: only the tolerant cooperate. that bonobos are very human-like tion where the institute director en- Creating human-like social behavior in their cooperative capabilities. joys a salad while the student sitting in chimpanzees would require a Further experiments will show if opposite him devours a large steak good dose of tolerance. “Even if they this supposition is correct. would never be possible with chim- could be given a human cortex im- What do the observations with panzees.” plant, their social behavior would dogs, foxes and apes tell us about Hare’s research group has impres- hardly change,” notes Hare. “What human evolution? “Humans,” as sively proved this social behavior in has to change is their emotional sys- Hare sees it, “began to differ from

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