Spontaneous spatial constructions by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus)

We investigated chimpanzees' spontaneous spatial constructions with objects. Two were common chimpanzees ages 6 and 18 years and one was an 11-year-old bonobo raised in a very enriched human environment from very early in life. Chimpanzees' products and procedures were quite advanced when constructing functional spatial relations by placing objects in or on each other, but not when constructing nonfunctional spatial relations by placing objects next to each other. This difference was found in all their constructions, including their spatial correspondences and spatial symmetries. Compared to those of younger nonencultured chimpanzees all their spatial constructions were more advanced. Compared to human infants, their functional spatial constructions were also more advanced but their nonfunctional spatial constructions were less advanced.