Fun Fact #4

Introducing… Jonny, the ice-skating chimpanzee!!!  Why this is a fun fact is self-explanatory.

Daggers of the Mind

I’ve been mulling this post over for a while, not sure where to go next, or what new information I could present.  So, for the hundredth time I searched Google for something, anything to post.  This was the best I could do…

When, in the late 1970′s, “talking” chimps like Washoe were discredited, another scientist, Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh decided to try to “eliminate the ambiguity of hand signs”, and use a keyboard with geometric buttons marked with symbols for the chimps and bonobos learn association with.  This type of communication can be seen in one of my earlier posts.  The smartest chimps even seemed to learn abstract categories, identifying pictures of objects as either tools or food. Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh reported that two of the chimps learned to use symbols to communicate with each other.  One of the most impressive bonobos, Kanzi, had acquired a vocabulary of 200 symbols and was constructing potentially rudimentary sentences by the age of 6.  Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh concluded that exposure to language must start early and that the lessons should be driven by the animal’s curiosity.  Kanzi does best when vocally given a demand or asked a question.  Thus, Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh’s critics say there is nothing surprising about chimpanzees associating vocal sounds with objects.  It is true, Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh says, that Kanzi was initially aided by vocal inflections, hand gestures, facial expressions, and other contextual clues.  However, once he had mastered a vocabulary, Kanzi could properly respond to 70% of unfamiliar sentences spoken by a trainer whose face was concealed.  “  None of this is very persuasive to linguists for whom the true test of language is not comprehension but performance, the ability to use grammar to generate ever more complex sentences”.  Chimpanzee linguistics seem to plateau around the same level as a 2-year-old human.  Chimps cannot form a sentence.

Is it fair to compare a chimpanzees language abilities to those of a human?  That is to assume that humans are the only species to use language, and I suppose that is all that has been proven thus far.  But because chimps are a different species, do they not deserve a different set of rules for what is and what is not language?  And how are those rules determined…?

Fun Fact #3

 

Fun Fact Numero Tres!

Did you know that the first living creature to be launched into outer space was not a human, but a chimpanzee? A chimp named Ham orbited Earth in 1961 and was taught simple commands to help test space travel for human astronauts. Ham became the first “American” in space!

Ham, the space chimp.

The Opposition. Dun, dun, dun…

I originally had a different idea for my blog post tonight, but I have just come across an article that discredits a lot of what I have been trying to prove.  At first, it frustrated me, but by the end of the article I remembered that the information I post should be free of bias.  Oops.  So with a reset mind frame, I present to you: the opposition.

The author of the article, Colin Tudge, mentions Washoe and the flood of publicity that followed Gardner’s breakthrough, but then further qualifies the opinion that signing chimps are simply mimicking motions to receive a reward by referencing two famous behaviorist, BF Skinner and Noam Chomsky.  It was Skinner who theorized  that in learning language, children associate particular sounds with particular circumstances and are rewarded when they get the connection right. Language, in short, is simply a special application of general mental ability.  However, Chomsky observed that children learn their own language at a time when their general cognitive skills are primitive, and often form there own sentences without ever hearing them before.  So language, said Chomsky, cannot simply be a subset of general learning.  Children must be born with a customised “language module” in their brains, in which rules of grammar  and vocabulary are already embedded.

Although chimpanzees can also form new phrases with sign language, they lack grammar and syntax – something that seems to be a unique feature of human nature.  Even when Washoe signed a swan as “water bird”, it could be argued that she was merely associating sounds or signs with objects and actions.  It’s the same thing dogs do when they see a leash and jump up in down in excitement for the associated “walk with my master! Oh, I wuuuuv my master!”.  Chimpanzees seem to be doing  the exact thing that Chomsky said humans do not do: “applying general cognitive skills to collections of words”.

Tudge goes on to discuss the evolution of animal rights based on their similarities to humans, which is not particularly relevent to my blog yet, but something I applaud him for.  Thus, if I had you convinced that chimps do in fact use language, perhaps you will reconsider the opposition now.

Fun Fact #2

Fun fact #2!

Chimpanzees are the only species of great apes that hunt!

Jane Goodall was the first to observe this.  Chimpanzees are the only great ape that consumes meat, usually medium to small-sized mammals, and they do so in packs!  Some chimpanzees have even developed tools, such as spears, to aid them in the hunt.  (By the way, I don’t recommend searching for images or videos if this…)  Meat is not a large portion of a chimpanzee’s diet, but it does provide clues to the evolution of our own hunting techniques as homo sapiens.

Other great apes include gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos.  An easy way to tell the difference between a monkey and an ape is that apes do not have tails.  If you have been reading this blog under the impression that chimps are monkeys, I am sorely disappointed in you.   

  

  

Washoe, the first chimpanzee to learn sign language.

 

 

Planet of the Apes?

“The fourth discreet use of language is to talk about language itself.” 

 In 1966, two psychologists, Allen  and Beatrix Gardner sparked scientific and public interest when they began to teach a chimpanzee, named Washoe, sign language.  According to (my Psychology text book), by the age of 31, Washoe could use 181 signs.  Chimps usually sign one word at a time, but some can create sentences.  However, their ability to use syntax correctly does not progress pass the ability of a two-year old human’s syntax, and their ability to learn new words plateaus quickly.  This is the basis for critic’s claim that chimpanzees do not understand what they are signing, rather the chimps are simply mimicking their trainers, and working towards a reward. 

Trying to set bias aside, I can’t help but disagree with critics to a degree. I believe that both sides are correct in certain situations, depending on the chimp in question.  As anyone who has trained or owned animals before knows, each is different, with different learning abilities or their willingness to learn.  Perhaps some chimps are less inclined to give a flying poo about sign language, and others are eager to soak up knowledge.  In Washoe’s case, when spotting a swan and lacking a sign for the animal, she signed “water bird”.  To me, this signals an understanding in the signs she was using.

Referring back to the fourth use of language, to talk about language itself, is something that Washoe exhibited as well.  As I have mentioned a couple times, chimpanzees pass along knowledge within their social groups.  Washoe’s adopted son, Loulis, learned over 68 signs from his mother.  The two  could communicate their feelings, wants, and needs to each other through sign.  In another instance, another signing member of Washoe’s family, Tatu, was able to ask her trainers questions and correct them if they answered incorrectly.  As research on how much of our language chimps can comprehend, it was discovered that they can translate spoken words into signs.  Although chimpanzees do have a Broca’s Area in their brain ( the area responsible for speech, language processing, and comprehension, as well as understanding various facial expressions), they lack human vocal cords, and therefore “speak” in their own fashion, as most other animals do.  A wonderful resource for this information is here, a documentary posted on YouTube, of course.  I urge you to watch it, in order for you to form your own opinion of how well chimps understand language.

This research lead me to wonder if Washoe’s publicity was an inspiration for Pierre Boulle’s novel Planet of the Apes.  However, the novel was published in 1963 – three years before Washoe began sign language training  – and I cannot find any evidence of a chimp learning sign language before then.  So maybe this French, sci-fi lover was a psychic?  Possible senior exit project?

Vote.

Train of Thought: Derailed/ Fun Fact #1

According to Hobbs Professor of cognition and education, Howard Gardner’s book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, condenses the use of language into four categories. These categories pertain to human language, and will help in determining which ways chimpanzees use language.c

1. People use language to induce action in other people. 
2. Language can be used as a tool by one individual to help that individual remember things. In this way, language expands cognitive abilities that are already present in the human brain.
3. The third use of language involves the transfer of explanations or knowledge from one person to another.
4. The fourth discreet use of language is to talk about language itself.

An example if the third use of language listed has already been posted in my blog. (By demonstration, chimps can pass knowledge to one another within a social group.) I believe I can prove the first use of language to be exhibited by chimps as well. Through body language and sounds, chimps can communicate what they want, and other chimps will react accordingly. An example could be one chimp warding another away from its territory. It has been argued by Yale researchers that an even more distant relative to humans, Reces Monkey, can understand intention based on body language, and react accordingly. In the experiments these researchers have conducted, two people place fruit on a tray and one person faces away from the monkey. Every time the monkey steals the fruit from the person who is not looking. Weather this is a form of body language that primates understand, or simply a survival technique (to avoid predators by avoiding their eyes or teeth) is up to further research to determine. You can watch the video here, and with this information I add Alan Alda to my team of chimp enthusiast. Be jealous. I will probably reference Alda’s work in The Human Spark again in future posts.

So, I’ve decided to post a fun fact about chimpanzees each week – aren’t you excited?!?  Here it goes – fun fact #1…

Here is an interesting tidbit of information that I discovered while researching: Great Apes laugh, just like humans do, in various situations, such as being tickled!!! Watch here. Do you think laughter is a form of language?

Back to Basics

I have been trying to plan out my series of blog posts, and have found myself much more confused at the end of my planning than when I began.  Thus, in an attempt to better organize my thoughts, I have decided to “go back to the basics”.  First, I should probably provide a definition of language.  According to The Merriam- Webster Dictionary language is 1: the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community 2: form or style of verbal expression 3: a system of signs and symbols and rules for using them that is used to carry information.  Now, I want to determine if animals use language or not, and if they can understand language.  The reason why I chose to study chimpanzees is because they have a higher order of thinking than most other animals.  From my summers volunteering at zoos,  I have learned that animals who are raised by their parents often have a larger capacity for learning than those animals who hatch from an egg, are never raised by a parent, and are born with all the instinctive knowledge for survival.  As an example, consider a snake.  They are born with every instinct they will ever need and are extremely limited in their capacity to learn.  Have you ever seen a snake fetch a ball, or jump through a hoop?  Even snake charming is reliant on the snake’s instinct focus on a potential threat (the instrument being played.  Snakes can’t even hear, only feel vibrations.)  Anyway, I am getting off track.

Referring back to the definition of language, I want to determine which of the 3 techniques chimpanzees use to communicate.  In the natural world, chimpanzees do not use symbols, or the written word as a form of communication.  They can, however, be taught to use sign language.  The controversy lies in whether the chimps can comprehend  the meaning of each word they sign, or not.  Although I have already formulated an opinion, I will attempt to present the information without bias, or with as little bias as humanly possible. And here we gooooooooooooooooooo.

According to Hobbs Professor of cognition and education, Howard Gardner’s book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, condenses the use of language into four categories.

 <<I HAD ABOUT 200 MORE WORDS IN THIS POST, BUT WHEN I CLICKED SPELL CHECK THEY DISAPPEARED! I WILL REBLOG THE INFORMATION LOSY IN MY NEXT POST.>>

What this Blog is All About

This blog is about animal linguistics, specifically how chimpanzees use language, and how their language differs from communication between humans.  This is a point of interest to me (as is any research done on animal behavior)  for three main reasons.  One: my future ambition is to be a veterinarian at an AZA Zoo, where I will hopefully work closely with our ancestral cousins.  Two: I was fortunate enough to attend a two-week long camp at Busch Gardens, Tampa last summer.  While at camp, I assisted zoo keepers with feeding the chimps, cleaning habitats, and creating enrichment activities.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with what enrichment is for zoo animals, it is simply any activity that prevents the animal from becoming board,and helps them exercise their minds through problem solving, usually involving a food reward.  The enrichment I was involved in was shoving food into the holes of a large, plastic anthill.  Then, I observed how the chimps went about obtaining the food.  When the chimps discovered their fingers were not long enough to reach the hidden treat, they used sticks to dig the food out of the holes.  I wondered how the chimps learned to do this trick, that even the youngest chimp could do.  The answer lies in today’s understanding of animal language.

Chimpanzees have become natural tool users over time.  Researchers have discovered about 39 “local customs related to chimpanzee tool use“.  However, interpretations of how a tool is used differs between social groups, which proves that chimpanzees transmit cultural patterns to their peers and offspring.  An example of this transference of knowledge is documented in this video of a parent chimp showing her offspring how to crack open a nut with a rock.  Another social group of chimps may have a different procedure for cracking open a nut, which will be passed down in their lineage.  Whatever method works the first time for one chimp works best for the rest of the chimps in that group, unless a more efficient way is demonstrated by an outsider.  This process of knowledge transference is a type of communication that chimps use.  I will detail other types of communication in later posts, and why they are relevant to our human society.

Finally, my third reason for choosing the blog topic I did.  Three: the advancement of conservation.  Obviously, animals are dear to my heart, and I want others to share my passion.  I believe that the more a society can understand and  relate to an animal, the more willing they are to protect that animal.  Great Apes are the closest relatives humans have in the animal kingdom.  I hope to do my part in helping people identify with chimpanzees, and eventually they will move on to caring for the animals that are not as similar to us as chimps.  The spark has to start somewhere.