tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post3894896127202176836..comments2023-10-17T06:26:31.005-07:00Comments on Evolutionary Middleman: So simple, even a monkey can do itJohn Evohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-84661622438139413852008-03-12T12:03:00.000-07:002008-03-12T12:03:00.000-07:00Yeah, I think that was it. Not so much anymore, bu...Yeah, I think that was it. Not so much anymore, but for a long while whenever I or Mrs Chief stuttered or struggled with a word, the other would blurt out a "chick-a-paaaay!"<BR/><BR/>We're strange like thatPhillyChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03355892225956705948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-52254891640138180152008-03-12T11:24:00.000-07:002008-03-12T11:24:00.000-07:00Philly:Was that movie Nell? To show how aurally or...Philly:<BR/><BR/>Was that movie <I>Nell</I>? To show how aurally oriented I am, I don't remember a damn thing about it except for that phrase.The Exterminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-73906599382327026892008-03-12T09:14:00.000-07:002008-03-12T09:14:00.000-07:00I think as far as different animals using differen...I think as far as different animals using different sounds for communicating, I have no doubts about that for there are plenty of examples. What I find interesting about my dog experiences is that in needing to communicate things to me, they created their own sounds or combinations of sounds unique to the message needing to be communicated and also that they remembered those sounds. They've PhillyChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03355892225956705948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-31840941071771986592008-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:002008-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:00Cats are absolutely the smartest. Mine have kept m...Cats are absolutely the smartest. Mine have kept my house dog free for two decades.Grumpy Lionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627640500745509887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-62393790469308793642008-03-12T08:23:00.000-07:002008-03-12T08:23:00.000-07:00Incredible cats, eh Chappy?Well, cats are okay, bu...<I>Incredible cats, eh Chappy?</I><BR/><BR/>Well, cats are okay, but dogs rule. The last dog I had used to come and get me when the phone rang in another room where I couldn't hear it. Pretty smart critter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-31518219171467798262008-03-12T05:37:00.000-07:002008-03-12T05:37:00.000-07:00This all reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where...This all reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets into a fight with a chimp at the zoo. When Kramer refuses to apologize to the chimp and insists on the chimp apologizing to him, the zookeeper says "Mr. Kramer, he's an innocent primate!"<BR/><BR/>And Kramer replies "Well, so am I!"Alejandrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08578877429793660591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-8074292165667738262008-03-12T04:14:00.000-07:002008-03-12T04:14:00.000-07:00ASL using chimps & gorillas have words but no synt...<I>ASL using chimps & gorillas have words but no syntax. That's been borne out by tons of research. Not to denigrate their mastery of a very foreign means of communication, but they don't have Language.</I><BR/><BR/>Barring some definition of "syntax" contrived to exclude them, this isn't true. I'm aware of the efforts by people like Chomsky to refute ape language ability, but this is a field Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-25911789509689938072008-03-12T02:51:00.000-07:002008-03-12T02:51:00.000-07:00Grrr. Forgot to quote. Beaver stops at "move" and ...Grrr. Forgot to quote. Beaver stops at "move" and I start again at "In short".The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-82242328740047089542008-03-12T02:50:00.000-07:002008-03-12T02:50:00.000-07:00ASL using chimps & gorillas have words but no synt...ASL using chimps & gorillas have words but no syntax. That's been borne out by tons of research. Not to denigrate their mastery of a very foreign means of communication, but they don't have Language. <BR/><BR/>And putty-nosed monkeys certainly don't have syntax. To paraphrase David Beaver - oh, heck, hang on, I'll quote him (from <A HREF="http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003160The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-23397154486672266152008-03-11T23:27:00.000-07:002008-03-11T23:27:00.000-07:00Lifey said:I monkey who stands up straightThanks f...Lifey said:<BR/><BR/><I>I monkey who stands up straight</I><BR/><BR/>Thanks for supporting Darwin.John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-46435685224599913462008-03-11T21:19:00.000-07:002008-03-11T21:19:00.000-07:00Many chimpanzees, and some bonobos, gorillas, and ...Many chimpanzees, and some bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans, have been taught vocabularies in the hundreds of words in American Sign Language, which they can use with some actual (though very simple) grammatical structure. In at least one case I know of, a chimpanzee taught ASL to another chimpanzee without human intervention.<BR/><BR/>Even after decades of study, we don't know all there is to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-7654552104499569052008-03-11T20:14:00.000-07:002008-03-11T20:14:00.000-07:00Ex:Funny you should say that about Bush. My granm...Ex:<BR/><BR/>Funny you should say that about Bush. My granmother has said of our President that he is "un mono parado!"<BR/><BR/>I monkey who stands up straight.Alejandrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08578877429793660591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-86860561665600607912008-03-11T19:10:00.000-07:002008-03-11T19:10:00.000-07:00Well, f'Chrissakes, some bird species have dozens ...Well, f'Chrissakes, some bird species have dozens of different calls, each of which seems to have some meaning -- to them. <BR/><BR/>It's just arrogance on the part of anyone who thinks that humans are special in any way -- other than our ability to demonstrate hubris.<BR/><BR/>And in favor of the intelligence of all species other than humans: None of them elected George W. Bush as their leader.The Exterminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-81480554461310578682008-03-11T17:41:00.000-07:002008-03-11T17:41:00.000-07:00bonobo monkeysCHIMPS, damn it Lifey!Philly, I disc...<I>bonobo monkeys</I><BR/><BR/>CHIMPS, damn it Lifey!<BR/><BR/>Philly, I discuss Darwin with my cats. They say "if natural selection is so great, why didn't it cause you humans to know dogs are evil"?<BR/><BR/>Incredible cats, eh Chappy?John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-80621630763484484342008-03-11T16:55:00.000-07:002008-03-11T16:55:00.000-07:00I'm constantly astonished by what we learn animals...I'm constantly astonished by what we learn animals are capable of. Whether its bonobo monkeys or Alex the Grey Parrot, it blows my mind how intelligent they are. <BR/><BR/>Interesting post!Alejandrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08578877429793660591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-29072915845152080652008-03-11T16:36:00.000-07:002008-03-11T16:36:00.000-07:00I was going to email you, but it was too late. I c...I was going to email you, but it was too late. I caught <A HREF="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ET/popup/200803032000.html" REL="nofollow">a show on NatGeo about dogs</A>, but it was the last scheduled airing of it. Anyway, they found remarkable abilities recently. One profound one was the ability to infer the meaning of a word or image based on other known words or images (there'sPhillyChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03355892225956705948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599022.post-39378406920332291012008-03-11T15:36:00.000-07:002008-03-11T15:36:00.000-07:00Another segment of the incredible wealth of inform...Another segment of the incredible wealth of information, emerging every day (it seems), that confirms the connections between all forms of life. It's really fascinating stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com