{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T11:38:16Z","timestamp":1791805096674,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)","issue":"6785","funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100011730","name":"Templeton World Charity Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["TWCF-20647"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TWCF-20647"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100011730","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Fellowship"},{"name":"CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars"},{"name":"Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.science.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Secondary representations enable our minds to depart from the here-and-now and generate imaginary, hypothetical, or alternate possibilities that are decoupled from reality, supporting many of our richest cognitive capacities such as mental-state attribution, simulation of possible futures, and pretense. We present experimental evidence that a nonhuman primate can represent pretend objects. Kanzi, a lexigram-trained bonobo, correctly identified the location of pretend objects (e.g., \u201cjuice\u201d poured between empty containers), in response to verbal prompts in scaffolded pretense interactions. Across three experiments, we conceptually replicated this finding and excluded key alternative explanations. Our findings suggest that the capacity to form secondary representations of pretend objects is within the cognitive potential of, at least, an enculturated ape and likely dates back 6 to 9 million years, to our common evolutionary ancestors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1126\/science.adz0743","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T19:00:52Z","timestamp":1770318052000},"page":"583-586","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.34133\/aaas_crossmark","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Evidence for representation of pretend objects by Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo"],"prefix":"10.1126","volume":"391","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3037-687X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Amalia P. M.","family":"Bastos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological &amp; Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA."},{"name":"School of Psychology &amp; Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2029-1872","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Christopher","family":"Krupenye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological &amp; Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"221","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actpsy.2006.09.009"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1166074"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0010-0277(94)90029-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/bjdp.12417"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jecp.2018.08.008"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jecp.2014.09.004"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecresq.2023.01.012"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_9_2","unstructured":"A. M. Leslie in Thought without Language (Oxford Univ. Press 1988); pp. 185\u2013210."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_10_2","volume-title":"Understanding the Representational Mind","author":"Perner J.","year":"1991","unstructured":"J. Perner, Understanding the Representational Mind (The MIT Press, 1991)."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.127.5.629"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_12_2","first-page":"218","volume-title":"The Descent of the Mind: Psychological Perspectives on Hominid Evolution","author":"Suddendorf T.","year":"1999","unstructured":"T. Suddendorf, in The Descent of the Mind: Psychological Perspectives on Hominid Evolution, M. C. Corballis, S. E. G. Lea, Eds. (Oxford Univ. Press, 1999), pp. 218\u2013260."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_13_2","first-page":"19","volume-title":"Developing Theories of Mind","author":"Leslie A. M.","year":"1988","unstructured":"A. M. Leslie, in Developing Theories of Mind (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1988), pp. 19\u201346."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.94.4.412"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11229-022-03984-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1131256"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0010-0277(99)00070-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2010.02.001"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2006.09.007"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2022.0022"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0140525X07001975"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dr.2023.101065"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_23_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1364-6613(00)01734-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_24_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0140525X08003543"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_25_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1125456"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/wcs.1503"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1910095116"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_28_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.celrep.2020.03.013"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_29_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2412450122"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_30_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2011.11.053"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_31_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2020.0523"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_32_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aaf8110"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_33_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-0017.2004.00244.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_34_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D. C. Penn D. J. Povinelli On the lack of evidence that non-human animals possess anything remotely resembling a \u2018theory of mind\u2019. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B 362 731\u2013744 (2007). 10.1098\/rstb.2006.202317264056","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2006.2023"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_35_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2016.04.062"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_36_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rsbl.2023.0179"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_37_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0012-1649.28.5.961"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_38_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-0017.1994.tb00318.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_39_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2010.11.024"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_40_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10329-020-00836-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_41_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511542282.005"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_42_2","volume-title":"The Ape in Our House","author":"Hayes C.","year":"1951","unstructured":"C. Hayes, The Ape in Our House (Harper, 1951)."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_43_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cogdev.2006.03.005"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_44_2","first-page":"267","volume-title":"Natural Theories of Mind: Evolution, Development and Simulation of Everyday Mindreading","author":"Whiten A.","year":"1991","unstructured":"A. Whiten, R. W. Byrne, in Natural Theories of Mind: Evolution, Development and Simulation of Everyday Mindreading (Basil Blackwell, 1991), pp. 267\u2013281."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_45_2","first-page":"107","volume-title":"Children in Play, Story, and School","author":"Bondioli A.","year":"2001","unstructured":"A. Bondioli, in Children in Play, Story, and School, A. Goncu, E. L. Klein, Eds. (Guilford Press, 2001), pp. 107\u2013131."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_46_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2044-835X.1986.tb01014.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_47_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0271-5309(95)00001-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_48_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0271-5309(96)00018-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_49_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1166068"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_50_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10329-020-00819-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_51_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10071-008-0157-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_52_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2009.01.010"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_53_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0036782"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_54_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajp.22341"}],"container-title":["Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1126\/science.adz0743","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T19:01:22Z","timestamp":1770318082000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adz0743"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]},"references-count":53,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6785","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1126\/science.adz0743"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adz0743","relation":{},"ISSN":["0036-8075","1095-9203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0036-8075","type":"print"},{"value":"1095-9203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-05-16","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-12-16","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-02-05","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}