Researchers for a long time have been fascinated with studying non-human primates and their communication abilities. With researchers studying this, it has increased the knowledge we have of the human language and the human brain. Among the ways primates typically communicate, the use of sign language between non-human primates and humans has come as a way to study/ form a connection between non-human and human communication. In this essay, I will be exploring the use of sign language by non-human primates and comparing why certain species of primates can learn and excel by using sign language while others do not. By studying this topic we can gain valuable knowledge about what distinguishes our cognitive/ communication abilities from our closest …show more content…
Through years of training and interactions Koko the gorilla demonstrated a great knowledge of having learned ASL (American Sign Language). To quote ’’She communicates in sign language, using a vocabulary of over 1,000 words.’’ She understood English as well (over 2,000 words) when spoken and responded in sign language to questions being asked of her in English. The case of Koko demonstrates the cognitive abilities that primates can show when being trained for sign language. It also provides evidence that non-human primates can use a communication system to express their thoughts and needs to humans. Moreover, it showcases to us more how non-human primates have a complex range of emotions and thoughts as we do. We see this as well with Koko who used sign language to express her emotions for example ‘’ When her pet cat died, Koko signed “cat, cry, have, sorry, …show more content…
She knew over 350 words of ASL and even taught an orphan chimpanzee named Louilis ASL. The chimpanzees even used sign language to communicate with one another. Another factor that contributes to sign language acquisition in different primates is social structure. Highly sociable primates like chimpanzees who naturally engage in lots of complex social interactions and use a great number of communication skills with each other will have a greater chance of acquiring the use of sign language. This may be because bonds with other chimpanzees in the community influence the motivational need to learn sign language to communicate/coordinate within that specific group. Lastly, the brain structures of different primates can play a role in the differences in sign language proficiency among primate species. Studies of different primate brains have shown that there are variations in the size and organization of the brain region for language processing. These include the prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus which both play an important role in the comprehension of language and
For instance, Rifkin establishes the individuality of each animal by identifying them with human names—Abel and Betty the crows, KoKo the gorilla, and Chantek the Orangutan. Rifkin could have excluded the names of the animals for they were likely randomly assigned, but he did not in order to connect the readers to the subjects. He furthers the relation by showing the audience the different classifications of human traits that animals exhibit—Betty was able to fashion a hook with her beak in order to obtain a morsel of food from a tube. Koko mastered over 1,000 signs in American Sign Language and understands several thousand English words while Chantek uses a mirror to floss his teeth. Rather than using a more pleasant terminology, Rifkin turns toward a negative use of language and connotation towards the end of the article, writing with words such as slaughter, inhumane, and caged (15).
As said by Lois Frazier, “Animals have a right to live without being confined, exploited, tormented, or eaten.” With the similarities animals have with humans, this right is something animals should possess, hence the animal-rights laws. Animals deserve to live in a comfortable environment just as humans do. However even with similar skills, just as Koko the gorilla has language skills, animals would not need them for survival the way humans do. Humans communicate through their own languages, but these languages may not be necessary for Koko.
The primate observation that I chose to observe are Orangutan, Squirrel Monkey, and Lemur. This observation took place in the Lowry Park Zoo on October 18th. I went to the Lowry Park Zoo around 2 pm until 5 pm. The purpose of this observation is through primate’s anatomy, locomotion, and behavior to getting know them better, and how they are differences and similarities compare to human beings. When I got there, the Zoo was already very crowd.
Climate change influenced nonhuman primate evolution in a variety of ways. Around 55 mya, a serious period of global warming occurred just as euprimates were beginning to appear. Our book discusses how this rapid temperature increase created tropical weather conditions all across the globe. As a result, new habits were created and there was "an adaptive radiation of modern-appearing primates, the euprimates" (Larsen 260). In other words, the high global temperatures paired with the humidity let to the spread of tropical forests.
Climate change influenced nonhuman primate evolution by forcing the evolution of species and creating new environments that allowed for primates to live. "A rapid temperature increase around 55 mya ... led to an expansion of evergreen tropical forests, the environment that made possible many mammalian groups, including primates." (pg. 260). As rapid temperature increase created new environments a rapid cooling in the beginning of the Oligocene limited the range of habitats greatly. Due to this reduction a majority of the primates during this time lived around the fayum region in northeast Africa.
To put it in perspective, they are much close to humans than we think. To be sharing such a close bond with us, don’t they deserve the rights to live freely in their habitat? Despite sharing 98.8 percent of their DNA, their body language is poorly understood by humans. For example, chimpanzees are known for grinning.
Primates have developed the ability to actually create different cultural groups, each of which operates with its own unique set of artifacts, symbols, social practices, and institutions. While primates in general have evolved advanced social-cognitive skills for competing and collaborating with related and with their own species, humans have also developed these abilities (Hermann et al., 2007). This illustrates cognition as a big factor in the theory of mind because, without cognition, non-human primates would not have been able to develop these different groups, vocalizations, and symbols to communicate with fellow and other species. Other primate species may share certain social or cultural behaviors with one another, but their species-typical cognition does not rely on engaging in cultural interactions in the same way that it does in humans (Hermann et al., 2007). Although social interactions are not a large part of cognitive evolution for primates, they are still able to understand the behaviors of other species.
American sign language or ASL is a complete language that uses signs made by hand gestures, facial expressions and your body posture. It is the primary communication of those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Sign language is universal. Where did this beautiful language come from?
To get Washoe to pay attention so the sign language rather than what we spoke, the Gardeners ask for the teachers to never speak while signing with Washoe. In other studies, the teachers would expose the chimps to spoken languages and the chimps would not pick up on the signs as much. The Gardeners method was proven to work, Washoe thrived in ASL. If she didn’t know a sign she would make one up, like “dirty good” for toilet. When Washoe was exposed to other chimps, she was able to teach them ASL to communicate with each
Many people are visual learners. Sign language is all about visuals. People in the deaf community, as well as others who are not in it but have taken up the language, use fingerspelling, signing, expressions, and movements as well. Eyes are used fluently to help express certain words, phrases and meanings. People have said that eyes are the key to a soul.
Language has allowed the human species to advance unlike any other species as Pagel stated that “chimpanzees are using tools to communicate”. Chimpanzees have the ability to communicate on a level where they can establish and build social relationship among each of them. Over the years there is one question that has been left unanswered. “Why would they use a stick to extract termites from the ground”? Since Pagel stated that “the Chimpanzees were intelligent” I think that if we us human being were that intelligent as the Chimpanzees that were our ancestor years ago , we would have understand more the use of language.
The article, “Of Primates and Personhood: Will According Rights and “Dignity” to Nonhuman Organisms Halt Research?” by Ed Yong is trying to convince the reader to see a different side to primates. The Great Ape Project set legal rights for chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutan. United Kingdom and New Zealand protect great apes from experimentation. For the Great Ape Project they are basically setting laws and higher standards for primates to me experimented on or held captive.
Studying captive primates can help us learn not only how they behave, but also how they are similar or different to each other and humans as well as give us insight into the effects of captivity. This paper will be describing, comparing, and contrasting the behavior of two species of captive primates at the Alexandria Zoo, golden lion tamarins and howler monkeys, as well as discussing the possible effects captivity could have had on them. This paper will also discuss any human-like behaviors observed in the two primate species and what we as humans could learn about our own behavior by studying primates. The two primates I observed were 1 of 3 golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) all of unknown gender and a solitary female howler
Hockett’s design feature of language and indeed, human language is a lot more complicated than animal communication. 2.2.3 Comparison Although human language is a lot different from animal communication, there are some features of human language that can also be found in animal communication. First of all, productivity is not unique to human language. It recurs to bee dancing.
From the earlier stages of development, children learn to understand other people by tone, facial expressions, and gestures. Although these are important aspects to communication if a child is only using gestures to communicate and not words, then there might be a difficulty in language development. On average “Children will typically be able to say 50 words by the time they reach 2 years. At this age, they will start to put short two-word sentences together. Language learning increases dramatically and by three years children are using three to four-word sentences and can be easily understood by familiar adults.