Learning and intellect Although not identical to human language, chimpanzees have a complex system of communication that uses a variety of body language, facial expression and calls, grunts, gestures, and other specific sounds. Left alone, they use vocalisations of different frequencies that lead Behie to believe âthey are communicating with one another in a more sophisticated way than we understandâ. Developmental psychologists have shown that infants and mothers experience two remarkable interactions that distinguish their history from that of every other primate. While we can teach aspects of language and use to any number of animal species- chimps, gorillas, parrots, etc none of them adapts it as a useful thing for them. July 2014. In the last 40 years, there have been many apes that have been taught to communicate with humans using sign language or other means, but the most famous among them are Koko the gorilla, Washoe the chimpanzee, and Kanzi the bonobo. Language Learning in Non-human Primates. DOI: 10.13140/2.1.3105.3122. Can chimpanzee vocalizations reveal the origins of human language? Chimpanzees specifically refer to favourite foods with distinct grunts, but the calls differ between populations, according to a ⦠Ultimately we hope to learn more about how human language first evolved. Many anthropologists from different countries have been doing lot of research work on study of chimps since they are our closest cousins in Homo family. Chimps have own 'dialects' but can learn others. While closely related to humans, researchers discover that chimpanzees' vocalizations resemble human language less than you'd expect. To begin to examine the communication of the chimpanzee, one must first gain a general understanding of primate communication in general. Humans make amazing things. City University of New York - College of Staten Island. Not really; symbolic language, with syntax is a mark of the human species. Authors: Kristen Gillespie-Lynch. Many feel the distinction is arbitrary, arguing that humans, chimps and bonobos are so similar that they should all belong to one species, either Pan or Homo. Therefore, by studying the communication abilities and development of language in chimps and other great apes, we can learn more about ourselves and our own language capabilities. (A long discussion of animal communication can be found in my book.). Trainers teach chimps these symbols by taking the chimp's hand and forming the symbol, then giving the chimp a food treat if he does it himself on the correct cue. Nim Chimpsky: the chimp they tried to turn into a human. Chimps and gorillas can easily learn up to 120 different arbitrary symbols if taught those signs using conventional reinforcement techniques. Chimpanzees can't learn language because they can't learn that things have names, an ability that infants display by the time they are 12 months. While chimps canât talk, they can learn sign language. A. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh. Each individual chimpanzee can be identified by his or her own âpant-hoot.â 8. In the early 70s, a primate named Nim Chimpsky was the subject of an experiment whose purpose was to learn whether language â¦