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Bonobos and chimpanzees have the longest long-term memory ever found in animals according to researchers who presented them with images of a familiar and an unfamiliar individual.

Scientists concluded that the apes are able to remember - even decades later - those they've met. The recognition appears to be especially influenced by how well they got on with each other.

Dr Laura Lewis is the lead author of the research who is based at the University of California, Berkeley. She told Newsday it is also one of the very first studies to show that apes’ memories may be shaped by their social relationships.

"One bonobo hadn't seen her sister for 26 years. We found Louise much longer looking at her sister."

"Social memories seem to shape their long-term memories... they looked longer at the images of their former friends. This helps us, as humans, to think about how our own memories are shaped by our social relationships."

(Pic: A researcher records eye movements of a chimpanzee towards a known and unknown image; Credit: Dr Laura Lewis)

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