Chimpanzees and Bonobos are very similar species of apes and they both have very similar gestures that have alike meanings. While it is not surprising that some of the gestures are the same, it is more surprising that they also have the same intention. When comparing the gestures, the ASO, or Apparently Satisfactory Outcome, is taken into consideration. The ASO is used to help figure out the meaning of the gesture by showing how the receiver of the gesture responds to the action and if the signaller is satisfied with the outcome of their response. The gestures and meanings are then compared between bonobos and chimpanzees to determine how similar their actions are to each other. One challenge of deciphering the meanings of the actions was
finding the actual meaning, rather than just the function. Functions are typically used to signal calls to others about predators or locations. Meanings, on the other hand, are towards one specific receiver and are intended to change their behavior. Evidence shows that these apes use the same methods of communication as humans. They choose a recipient, make gestures to communicate, wait for a response, and continue until a satisfactory response is given. This evidence informs us that there is a specific effect that is wanted. Another challenge is that the meanings of the gestures have to be figured out indirectly, meaning that the original gesture and the response have to be taken into consideration in order to decipher the actual meaning and what it was intended for. The ASO demonstrates what the signaller was intending to imply with its gesture and can help determine the meaning. With the action and its response, the meaning can be figured out indirectly based on the ASO. The repertoires of apes are all quite extensive. The physical gestures overlap in several different species of apes. In chimpanzees and bonobos, the overlap is somewhere between 88%-96%, the overlap of chimpanzees and gorillas is 60%, and the overlap between chimpanzees and orangutans is about 80%. However, despite having around 90% of the same actions between chimpanzees and bonobos does not mean that they have the same meaning and that they would be able to understand one another. The only way they would be able to communicate and understand each other was if the same gestures had the same meanings. In order to find gestures fitting for analysis, fifteen gestures were found by seeing that they were used by at least three signallers at least three times to reach an ASO. By comparing and analyzing this research, it was found that in one specific gesture, a big loud scratch, was the signal to the majority of the time initiate grooming in both species. Initiate grooming was the 100% ASO of bonobos and 82% ASO of chimpanzees. However, despite this very similar gesture and meaning between the two species, there are also some gestures that may imply the complete opposite of what the other species is intending to signal. For example, a directed push indicates 100% ASO of ‘climb on me’ for bonobos, but only 15% ASO of ‘climb on me’ for chimpanzees. Between bonobos and chimpanzees, both the physical forms of the gestures and the intended meanings and outcomes of the gestures overlap significantly. One explanation of this could be biological inheritance. These similar gestures and meanings could have been a part of one common ancestor and might have been passed down and evolved differently between the two different species.
To start, research shows that there are a striking number of similarities between humans and chimpanzees in context to their social behavior.
This article, titled Common Ground, written by Barbara Smuts, points out the main differences between humans and apes, such as our upright stance, large brains, and capacity for spoken language and abstract reasoning. However, the main point of this article is to emphasize the many similarities that apes share with us. Smuts goes into great detail about how human social and emotional tendencies are very reflective in the family of apes.
Although the practice of collecting animals have been present since 2500 B.C (Dunlap and Kellert), efforts to keep animals in a safe and natural habitat have been poorly consummated. Psychological manipulation has consequentially drawn chimpanzees to mental illness, as in the article “How Abnormal Is the Behavior of Captive, Zoo-Living Chimpanzees?” Lucy P. Birkett and Nicholas E. Newton-Fisher wrote, “Many chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) kept in laboratory housing settings show a variety of serious behavioral abnormalities, such as, repetitive rocking, drinking of urine, or self-mutilation.” Social and maternal separation for the benifit of reasearch are linked to psychological traumatic as well (Dunlap and Kellert). Although through history the service of zoos have been for entertainment, it is a trivial reason for holding chimpanzees in confidment. Subsequently, it is inhumane to take primates from the wild and place them in a zoo, commercial, or laboratory setting, which strips them of their ability to act naturally.
All primates have the same sensation and are capable of receiving excessive amounts of information. All senses, sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch are essential to the development, survival, and overall well-being of living primates. It is fascinating how non-human primates, without language, can communicate in the same ways as human primates, with language. Non-human primates and human primates are highly developed mammals that possess many of the same communicative characteristics, but still differ greatly. Non-human primates fit into the category of not having language, but being able to communicate.
Hopkins, W. D., et al. "Handedness For Tool Use In Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes): Sex Differences, Performance, Heritability And Comparison To The Wild." Behaviour 146.11 (2009): 1463. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
According to National Geographic, scientists have sequenced the genome of the chimpanzee and found that humans are 98.5% similar to the ape species. The chimpanzee is our closest relative in the animal kingdom; however, some people are not aware of our resembling traits with chimpanzees. Jane Goodall’s, In the Shadow of Man, describes some similar traits humans and chimpanzees have, such as their facial expressions and emotions, use of tools, and diet. Chimpanzees portray their emotions through a number of facial expressions and mannerisms. Just like humans, they undergo mood swings, jealous rages, and laughter.
Chimpanzees (Figure 1) are the closest living relatives to us, and they share 99 percent of our DNA (1). Chimpanzees have distinct group territoriality. Male chimpanzees “patrol” near the boundary between the two ranges, at that time they move very carefully and quietly, and they can cease to listen and observe the range of their neighbors. Patrolling individuals are likely to face cruel and violent attacks, injuries, and even deaths. Intense excitement and aggressive display can occur if the two parties of two communities encounter each other. Usually, the larger group holds its ground, and interaction between different chimpanzees communities may also lead to gang attack. Expanding the community range is necessary to their social organizations, the males cooperation can defend the territory and increase the reproductive rates of the resident females by excluding female and male competitors. Body contact is common in their social life such as grooming (1). Usually, chimpanzees groom each other as a way to show harmony and solidarity in their society (Figure 2). Grooming each other demonstrates the deep bonds and close relationship between them. In addition, they can even hug, hold hands, touch, kiss each other as a way of emotional expression (2).
Psychologist Steven Pinker is one of these critics. Pinker has said “No chimpanzee has learned sign language..... They’ve certainly learned some gestures, but sign language is not just a system of gestures. It’s a full, grammatical language with its own systematic grammar, like Latin” (Hart, “Apes and Human Language”). Many other researchers simply do not agree that animals using symbols and signs constitute human language. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics support this
In the article “Why Are Chimps Still Chimps?” published on February of 2012 by authors Norman J. Johnson, James J. Smith, Briana Pobiner, and Caitlin Schrein write about chimps and why they are still around today. Many people ask the question, if we evolved from chimps then why are they still here? The authors purpose of this article is to answer that very question. They write that the reasons chimps are still around today is because humans did not evolve from living chimps. Instead, both human and chimps evolved from a common ancestor that is now extinct.
Apes have over and over again surpassed other primates in comprehension tests carried out in the laboratory. They are capable of reacting to stimuli in an appropriate manner. Researchers have measured intelligence in primates in a number of situations in an effort to determine the level of cognition these primates possess. Russon and Begun, researchers who have explored ape intelligence state, “In the physical domain, great apes do use tools in ways that require their grade of cognition but they devise equally complex manual techniques and solve equally complex spatial problems” (Russon and Begun 2004). Apes have the abilit...
Although it has been known for some time that bonobos and chimps perform a number of similar gestures, this is the first time that the meaning of those gestures has been found to significantly correlate.
Animals and humans are able to communicate nonverbally with sign language, hand motions, or body language. “Bees communicate the location of pollen to other bees in the hive by dancing” (Doc 2). Honey bees have two dances, a circular dance, and a tail wagging dance (Doc 2). Bees are able to tell other bees where to find pollen by making gestures or “dancing”, similar to how human can communicate with gestures and sign language. Chimps can't talk because they have a thin tongue and a high vocal box, however, humans have been able to communicate by teaching them sign language (Doc 6). Koko, a gorilla knows about one-thousand American sign language signs (Doc 6). Although Koko can't talk, she like deaf or nonverbal people, is able
While physiological similarities between bonobos and chimpanzees suggest cognitive similarities, it is found through behavioral differences that we see the two species differ cognitively. Conducted in 2010, this study examines both species and determines whether or not these cognitive differences support the role of ecological and socio-ecological pressures in the shaping of bonobos and chimpanzees cognitive skills. In order to test this idea, researches chose to put both species under a wide range of cognitive problems and
Page highlights four major criticisms of the results of the attempts to teach sign language to primates. First, there is no reason to suppose that the animal's signing behavior is an expression of anything other than the animal's awareness that "If I do this, I get food." Second, spontaneous use of sign language is rare even in a well-trained primate. Third, longer strings of signs often consist of random repetition of certain words and phrases known by the animal to lead to food reinforcement. Finally, any errors made by the signing primates were often rationalized by researchers by describing them as novel creations.
...tention to how people react to one another’s comments, guessing the relationship between the people and guessing how each feels about what is being said. This can inform individuals to better understand the use of body language when conversing with other people. It is also important to take into account individual differences. Different cultures use different non-verbal gestures. Frequently, when observing these gestures alone the observer can get the wrong impression, for instance, the listener can subconsciously cross their arms. This does not mean that they are bored or annoyed with the speaker; it can be a gesture that they are comfortable with. Viewing gestures as a whole will prevent these misunderstandings. Non-verbal gestures are not only physical, for example; the tone of voice addressing a child will be different from the way it is addressed to an adult.