Chimpanzee Ai, known for painting and counting, dies at 49

Ai, a chimpanzee central to Kyoto University's Ai Project, died on 9 January from multiple organ failure linked to old age.

Ai, a West African–born chimpanzee, died on 9 January at the age of 49 from multiple organ failure linked to old age, Kyoto University's Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behaviour said. She arrived in Japan in 1977 and became the primary participant in the long-running Ai Project, a research programme aimed at studying chimpanzee perception, memory and behaviour. Over decades she took part in cognitive tests and also produced drawings and paintings that were noted in both academic and popular accounts. Reported facts: - Ai died on 9 January at age 49; the centre reported the cause as multiple organ failure associated with old age and said she was surrounded by long-term care staff. - Ai arrived in Japan in 1977 and began participating in the Ai Project from about one year old, becoming its most prominent research participant. - Reported abilities include numerical naming and recognition of Arabic numerals, recognition of colours and more than 100 Chinese characters, use of a computer-linked keyboard in tests, and production of artworks; she also gave birth to a son, Ayumu, who later featured in related studies. Summary: Her participation over many years helped establish experimental approaches used to study chimpanzee cognition and informed discussions about the evolution of the human mind. Undetermined at this time.