Thieving monkeys in Bali have evolved to where they can recognize valuable objects from cheap items — and they steal the valuable stuff so they can trade it for food.
That’s according to a study published in Thursday’s edition of the Royal Society science journal. Researchers say the monkeys have taken to stealing items such as cell phones and other electronic gadgets, refusing to give them back until the owner offered food in exchange.
A study looked at monkeys that frequently steal items from humans and hold them in exchange for offerings of food.
It found adult wild long-tailed macaque monkeys were intelligent enough to comprehend which items had the highest value to the visitors. https://t.co/UYHJnXLXkv
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The authors say the monkeys display an “unprecedented economic decision-making processes” in selecting which items to steal.
If primates continue to evolve, could they live alongside people some day?