Primates used in research face welfare challenges that their cognitive complexity makes particularly acute, driving ongoing debates about appropriate use.
The cognitive sophistication of primates — their capacity for complex social relationships, emotional memory, and psychological suffering — makes their use in research ethically distinctive. Social isolation, which is common in research protocols, causes documented psychological trauma in animals that evolved as highly social beings. The phase-out of great ape research in the US demonstrates that alternatives can replace even sophisticated primate models when regulatory pressure and research investment align.