Ape Language

Language is a collection of symbols that represents objects, actions, and thoughts. It is representational, allowing for the transmission and relocation of information between minds. It can be written, spoken, gestured, and/or signed for purposes of communication.

It is often debated whether or not humans are the only animal possessing language capabilities. In particular, some studies have revealed that great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans) exhibit some languagelike qualities. Apes have a larger brain size to body size ratio than all other nonhuman primates. In addition, one of the apes, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), shares 98.4% of their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with humans.

Apes typically use scent markings, pilo (hair) erection, facial expressions, and vocalizations, as well as other verbal and visual means of communication. Apes also can communicate with humans, and chimpanzees are capable of forming infrequent human vocalizations in response to human speech. In addition, some apes make the complex hand movements used in American Sign Language (ASL).

Nonetheless, ape language is qualitatively different than human language. Apes do not have a vocal tract that allows them to speak the same way people do. Also, apes do not have the same level of intelligence as humans, which some believe is necessary for understanding and producing speech. Furthermore, ape language is not as complex or expressive as human language.

There have been many studies on the language abilities of the great apes. Research has been conducted on the evolution of language, the acquisition and production of language, as well as strategies for teaching language to humans. The results of some ape language studies have been beneficial to those working on language acquisition in mentally challenged children.

Manual signing, plastic “words,” computer lexigrams, and simultaneous communication have been used in ape language studies. In fact, human curiosity with the language abilities of apes dates back to the 1930s. In 1933, Winthrop and Luella Kellogg raised Gua, a female chimpanzee, along with their infant son, Donald. Over a period of 9 months, Gua was able to understand and respond to about 70 verbal commands. In 1966, another chimpanzee, Sarah, participated in language research designed by David Premack. Sarah learned to form sentences by placing plastic tokens that symbolized words in a vertical line. Sarah was able to read and write with over 130 words.

In 1967, two psychologists, Beatrice and Allen Gardner, taught Washoe, an infant female chimpanzee, how to use ASL in the same way that parents teach deaf children to sign. After a period of about 3 years, Washoe learned to sign approximately 130 words. Lana, another female chimpanzee, participated in a language study beginning in 1971 at the Regional Centre of Primate Studies at Yerkes. Duane Rumbaugh and colleagues placed Lana in an experimental chamber, where she used a computer lexigram language system to “talk.”

Beginning in 1972, Koko, a female gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), learned ASL through simultaneous communication with Penny Patterson. Koko responded to verbal questions and signed novel combinations of words. Researchers noted that at times, Koko even talked (signed) to herself and her dolls.

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