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JD
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virus: University chimp amazes scientists with own 'words'
« on: 2003-01-02 09:39:56 » |
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University chimp amazes scientists with own 'words'
http://tinyurl.com/4085
By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent [Daily Telegraph - UK]
(Filed: 02/01/2003)
A chimpanzee has challenged the widely held view
that animals do not have language by making up its own words from scratch.
Kanzi, an adult bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee kept at Georgia State University,
Atlanta, has come up with four distinct sounds for the things closest to his
heart - banana, juice, grapes and yes.
Although the choice of words may be a little predictable, it is the first
report of an ape making sounds that seem to have the same meaning across
different situations.
The findings have astonished ape experts, who believe Kanzi has come the
closest yet to mastering a simple form of speech.
Kanzi has grown up among people and is skilled at communicating with
symbols. It understands some spoken English and can respond to simple
phrases such as "do you want a banana?", New Scientist reports today.
But its language trainers, Jared Taglialatela and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh,
discovered that he also made distinct noises during their "conversations".
The team studied 100 hours of video tapes of Kanzi. They were most
interested in situations where the chimp's meaning was obvious, such as when
it was pointing to the symbol for grapes or eating a banana. The researchers
found four noises used by Kanzi in different contexts.
Dr Taglialatela said: "We haven't taught him this. He's doing it all on his
own."
Kanzi's "word" for yes stayed the same across a whole range of emotions,
suggesting that the noises were not simply the result of differences in the
chimp's emotional state.
Kanzi is the latest in a line of primates to challenge the conventional view
that animals have no language. Language used to be defined as symbolic
communication until another chimpanzee, Washoe, learned to communicate in
American Sign Language. Since then, the definition has been refined to put
more emphasis on syntax and less on symbols.
The researchers are now trying to discover whether Kanzi is imitating human
speech. But they will not consider the chimp to be communicating using the
sounds until other chimps respond to the noises.
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Jonathan
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rhinoceros
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Re:virus: University chimp amazes scientists with own 'words'
« Reply #1 on: 2003-01-02 18:01:02 » |
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[Jonathan Davis]
University chimp amazes scientists with own 'words'
http://tinyurl.com/4085
By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent [Daily Telegraph - UK]
(Filed: 02/01/2003)
A chimpanzee has challenged the widely held view
that animals do not have language by making up its own words from scratch
<snip>
[rhinoceros]
Intersting. Here is the same story from New Scientist with some more details:
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993218
Lab chimp speaks his own language
by Anil Ananthaswamy
New Scientist, January 03, 2003
<snip>
Kanzi is just the latest primate to challenge the view that animals have no language ability. Language used to be popularly defined as symbolic communication until Washoe, a chimpanzee, stumped everyone by learning to communicate in American Sign Language.
"The linguists then came up with a definition that emphasised syntax much more than symbols," says de Waal. "Sometimes we feel it's a bit unfair that they move the goal posts as soon as we get near."
<snip>
Recently researchers studying Campbell's and Diana monkeys in the Ivory Coast in West Africa found some evidence of syntax in the calls the monkeys made. And Karen Hallberg and Sally Boysen of Ohio State University in Columbus have noticed hints that when chimps see food, they make calls that specify its desirability as high, medium or low, and that other chimps can interpret the sounds.
But Kanzi comes closest yet to providing concrete evidence that apes can make sounds that carry a particular meaning. "Kanzi is modifying his sounds to denote certain things in his environment," says de Waal. "That's very special."
<snip>
Nevertheless, the observations add to the growing body of evidence that language skills did not just show up suddenly in humans, and hint that non-human primates may have abilities that could be described as primitive language.
"There have to be evolutionary precursors to what we do," says Mitani. "We are beginning to find them in the primate world."
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