Gorillas are showing signs of learning to talk

[Diamond Jim]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/s...earning-to-talk-say-researchers-10456969.html

Researchers say they have "found examples of Koko performing nine different, voluntary behaviors that required control over her vocalisation and breathing."

"Koko bridges a gap. She shows the potential under the right environment conditions for apes to develop quite a bit of flexible control over their vocal tract. It's not as fine as human control, but it's certainly control."


How long before we are forced to bow down to our ape overlords?

 

[BearGrounds]

Amy good gorilla.

 

[milliniar]

already happened yo!

 

[Chaos Spawn]

what i want to know is - can they teach african grey parrots sign language?

now, that would be really something.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

They need to grow a voice box first



Apes will start to speak at about the same time birds can do sign language

 

[Slick_36]

I've been saying for years that great apes deserve rights like people. The only separation is the level of intelligence, but they feel and certainly are aware.

 

[Concrete]

 

[GearSolidMetal]

My dog has been showing signs she's been learning to talk.

It's called barking.



Wish the bitch would shut the fuck up.

 

[Smashandgrab]

What a bunch of assholes.

 

[faustian]

wtf

 

[ripskater]

already happened yo!

Man that was a good movie!

 

[Slick_36]

My dog has been showing signs she's been learning to talk.

It's called barking.



Wish the bitch would shut the fuck up.

Dumb joke, this is some pretty major stuff. Humans made a huge leap in evolution when speech was first learned. The implications of this are pretty huge. People don't realize that homo sapiens weren't the only intelligent apes out there, there were a few on our level or close but they died out for various reasons, we bottlenecked ourselves so it could have just as easily been us. This might be our connection with the natural world on a very personal level like we've never seen before. If this is possible, marine mammals could be next. Whales and dolphins are capable of human like speech if we can teach it to them, and this lets us know that it's possible to at least teach animals speech.

Koko is pretty amazing, her vocabulary in sign language is incredibly impressive and she has shown some startling intelligence and emotion. There's another gorilla educated by the same people that shows some real promise. I can only imagine what we could achieve with real funding.

 

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

omg iz dis real!?!?!?!

 

[5crew]

already happened yo!

Chimpanzee =/ Gorilla

You might as well say Boa is Python.

 

[PAUonePUNCH]

Getting a kick at the people not looking at the symbol of the "news network" in that vid. Good stuff.

 

[Slick_36]

Orangutan>Gorilla>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Chimpanzee

 

[Slick_36]

Getting a kick at the people not looking at the symbol of the "news network" in that vid. Good stuff.

The first thing I said to myself when I read the headline was, "That has to be the Onion". For being so blatantly fake, they manage to trick a ton of people lol.

 

[europe1]

But legend say that an Ape named Lisa was the first to speak the words "NO!"

 

[Roop Holstry]

Lmao

The guy saying to the rabbits "you will both die"

 

[Count Zero]