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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
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Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face
Published on: January 7, 2019
Chimpanzee faces are 'special' to humans
1Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia. jtaubert@psych.usyd.edu.au
Perception
|June 3, 2009
Summary
Humans process chimpanzee faces holistically, similar to human faces, suggesting a broader innate face representation than previously thought. This ability persists despite poor discrimination skills for non-human primate faces.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Comparative Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
Background:
- Humans may possess an innate representation of face structure.
- The extent of this innate representation (conspecific vs. broader species) is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether humans exhibit holistic processing for non-conspecific primate faces.
- To test the breadth of innate human face processing capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the composite effect to assess holistic processing of chimpanzee faces.
- Tested processing of faces from species with varying phylogenetic distances (chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, sheep, chickens, lizards) and non-face objects.
Main Results:
- Adult humans demonstrated significant holistic processing (composite effect) for chimpanzee faces, similar to human faces.
- Holistic processing was not observed for faces of species more distantly related to humans or for non-face objects.
- Despite holistic processing, discrimination of chimpanzee faces was poor.
Conclusions:
- Adults retain some broader perceptual abilities (holistic processing) present in neonates, even if fine discrimination is lost.
- Innate face processing may extend beyond conspecifics to closely related species like chimpanzees.
- Perceptual narrowing in infancy may explain the loss of discrimination for heterospecific faces while retaining holistic processing.
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