Book contents
- Primate Cognitive Studies
- Primate Cognitive Studies
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 The Purpose of Primate Cognitive Studies
- 2 A History of Primates Studying Primates
- 3 Genetic and Environmental Influences on Chimpanzee Brain and Cognition
- 4 The Evolution of Cognition in Primates, Including Humans
- 5 State of the Field
- 6 Current Perspectives on Primate Perception
- 7 The Comparative Study of Categorization
- 8 Numerical Cognition in Nonhuman Primates
- 9 The Natural History of Primate Spatial Cognition
- 10 Progress and Prospects in Primate Tool Use and Cognition
- 11 Sequencing, Artificial Grammar, and Recursion in Primates
- 12 The Evolution of Episodic Cognition
- 13 Metacognition
- 14 Bridging the Conceptual Gap between Inferential Reasoning and Problem Solving in Primates
- 15 The Eyes Have It
- 16 Social Cooperation in Primates
- 17 Primate Communication
- 18 Theory of Mind in Nonhuman Primates
- 19 A Requiem for Ape Language Research
- 20 Primate Empathy
- 21 Replication and Reproducibility in Primate Cognition Research
- 22 Ethical Considerations in Conducting Primate Cognition Research
- 23 Collaboration and Open Science Initiatives in Primate Research
- 24 Studying Primate Cognition
- 25 Do Monkeys Belong in the Ape House?
- Index
- References
19 - A Requiem for Ape Language Research
The Cognitive Foundations of Language
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2022
- Primate Cognitive Studies
- Primate Cognitive Studies
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 The Purpose of Primate Cognitive Studies
- 2 A History of Primates Studying Primates
- 3 Genetic and Environmental Influences on Chimpanzee Brain and Cognition
- 4 The Evolution of Cognition in Primates, Including Humans
- 5 State of the Field
- 6 Current Perspectives on Primate Perception
- 7 The Comparative Study of Categorization
- 8 Numerical Cognition in Nonhuman Primates
- 9 The Natural History of Primate Spatial Cognition
- 10 Progress and Prospects in Primate Tool Use and Cognition
- 11 Sequencing, Artificial Grammar, and Recursion in Primates
- 12 The Evolution of Episodic Cognition
- 13 Metacognition
- 14 Bridging the Conceptual Gap between Inferential Reasoning and Problem Solving in Primates
- 15 The Eyes Have It
- 16 Social Cooperation in Primates
- 17 Primate Communication
- 18 Theory of Mind in Nonhuman Primates
- 19 A Requiem for Ape Language Research
- 20 Primate Empathy
- 21 Replication and Reproducibility in Primate Cognition Research
- 22 Ethical Considerations in Conducting Primate Cognition Research
- 23 Collaboration and Open Science Initiatives in Primate Research
- 24 Studying Primate Cognition
- 25 Do Monkeys Belong in the Ape House?
- Index
- References
Summary
Whether great apes possess the capacity to acquire elements of human language is an enduring scientific question. Over the last 50 years, results from laboratories using either American Sign Language or an artificial symbol-based communication system suggested that core capacities for language acquisition and comprehension are present in apes. After the completion of these projects, newer approaches examining properties of great ape vocalizations and referential gestures have taken up the question. Results from ape language research challenge the claim that human language is a uniquely derived evolutionary specialization, but we are far from reaching consensus on this point. Through these language studies, apes have demonstrated socio-cognitive abilities crucial for the development of language skills, such as joint attention, intersubjectivity, and processing abilities that include referentiality and use of top-down processing for speech restoration. In this chapter, we review ape language projects, the additional work they inspired, and how the results of these studies offer insight into the evolution of language-related cognitive capabilities. We also discuss the effects of enculturation on language acquisition and ethical quandaries that stem from raising apes in homes and laboratories to test hypotheses about the evolution of cognition and language.
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- Information
- Primate Cognitive Studies , pp. 483 - 504Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022