Monkeys recognise each other by comparing faces to an average stored in their brains, not by memorising what every monkey looks like, scientists say. And that probably also goes for people, explaining how humans can recognise faces in a fraction of second, according to study published in Nature . The scientists found a monkey’s brain did not keep track of different parts of a face, storing and then accessing the information to recognise others. Instead, it keeps statistical average of the faces it has seen and uses it as a basis for comparison.

“ When it sees a new face, it compares it to this average and then it remarks upon the differences and that is how the face is seen”, said David Leopold of the US National Institute of Mental Health. “It elucidates how it is possible that you can so quickly and effortlessly, in just a few hundred milliseconds. recognise faces.”

Source: The Times of India, Mumbai 
             Friday, July 7, 2006