It’s been proven many times that human and non-human primates are closely related to each other. We have similar number of species, similar DNA, similar brain size, similar sociability, and some similar characteristics. Well, how about speaking capabilities? Can they speak like us? Many people may say no, but researchers have a different answer in mind.
A well-known and long-kept theory says that chimps, monkeys, and gorillas do not talk because they are incapable of creating sounds for the skill, but new research has suggested that non-human primates, including monkeys, actually have the vocal capability to produce intelligible human speech. Using X-ray videos, the researchers captured and traced movements of a macaque’s (a species of monkey …show more content…
Why don’t non-humans primate talk like we do? Koko the gorilla, for example, uses sign language to communicate with people, saying many different things, but she’s noticeable stays silent. Well, even if they have the vocal capabilities, their brains can’t. So researchers began to wonder what if a human brain was in control instead.
The experiment was successful. Researchers developed a macaque model with the exact same vocal structure and replaced the monkey’s brain with a human. The results were the monkey model saying “Will you marry me?” and then saying “Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas in French).” There are actually videos of the speech online.
Despite the successful experiment, the researchers say that it's unlikely for non-human primates to be taught how to speak the human language. One the other hand, a professor in the Department of Animal Behavior at Free University Berlin, believes that humans underestimate the communication skills of animals. She points out that parrots, seals, and elephants either use different brain regions to vocalize or something else unknown. She also added that animals might not be able to do things under natural conditions, but they are capable of doing things when trained and prompted, such as sea lions and parrots moving to a beat. Who knows if this is the same for non-human
A well-known and long-kept theory says that chimps, monkeys, and gorillas do not talk because they are incapable of creating sounds for the skill, but new research has suggested that non-human primates, including monkeys, actually have the vocal capability to produce intelligible human speech. Using X-ray videos, the researchers captured and traced movements of a macaque’s (a species of monkey …show more content…
Why don’t non-humans primate talk like we do? Koko the gorilla, for example, uses sign language to communicate with people, saying many different things, but she’s noticeable stays silent. Well, even if they have the vocal capabilities, their brains can’t. So researchers began to wonder what if a human brain was in control instead.
The experiment was successful. Researchers developed a macaque model with the exact same vocal structure and replaced the monkey’s brain with a human. The results were the monkey model saying “Will you marry me?” and then saying “Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas in French).” There are actually videos of the speech online.
Despite the successful experiment, the researchers say that it's unlikely for non-human primates to be taught how to speak the human language. One the other hand, a professor in the Department of Animal Behavior at Free University Berlin, believes that humans underestimate the communication skills of animals. She points out that parrots, seals, and elephants either use different brain regions to vocalize or something else unknown. She also added that animals might not be able to do things under natural conditions, but they are capable of doing things when trained and prompted, such as sea lions and parrots moving to a beat. Who knows if this is the same for non-human