The Royal Institution
Apes can learn human sign language but how do they communicate with each other in the wild? Sophie Scott and Cat Hobaiter investigate in this clip from the 2017 Christmas Lectures.
Watch the full lecture: https://youtu.be/5aSfMh9ittI
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Like humans, apes use hand and body movements as well as vocalisations to communicate with each other. Are their gestures similar to ours and could humans understand their meaning? Dr Cat Hobaiter is a Primatologist at the University of St Andrews and her research focuses on ape communication and the evolution of language.
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To what extent is the chimpanzee sign lexicon learned? To what extent is it acquired? Are there cultural differences among different wild populations? Does a specific lexicon shift with the passage of time? Thanks.
Get an education, animals don't have language.
The two ape weman on the stage where using alot of gestures (hand signals) to communicate. The gestures the aps in the forest are using are much less than the two aps on stage.
Dogs have a way of communicating also. So do whales, and dolphins, and bats, and doves, and ants, and bees, and bears. Even cochroaches have a communications system. So this is not new. Each creacher has a communications system designed so the opposite sex will come along and expand the species.
0:33 — content starts, you're welcome
Here at Stuffington University we have been teaching our subjects human sign instead with great success. One of our top subjects will be delivering the next Christmas lecture which will also be his first so stay tuned!
come on the first gesture meant 'pick me up' I think but I suppose that is like move closer except they couldn't really get any closer. but the worst thing is the silly obvious choice you gave people. I mean of course we know that gesture made by a child to a mother, especially when you have two other ludicrously inappropriate choices. Does it mean:
a ) Move closer
b) What's a theodolite? or
c) My hat is blue
hmm I wonder which one it means? Oooo look we all understand ape signing, wow!!