Prometheus 6

Lemurs Aren't So Dumb After All, Study Finds
Thu May 13, 2004 09:20 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lemurs, once believed to be cute but basically stupid, show startling intelligence when given a chance to win treats by playing a computer game, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.

The study will help shed light on how humans became sophisticated mathematically, the Duke University team said.

So far, it suggests primitive animals such as lemurs need a good reason, such as a treat, to bother trying to count. Humans and monkeys, in contrast, will stretch their minds simply out of curiosity.