July 9, 2006
Bonobos extend their social ties with humans by talking on the phone.
Two bonobo chimpanzees in Iowa are changing how scientists think about the nature of human language, according to National Public Radio.
At the Great Ape Trust, dedicated to studying the intelligence and behavior of great apes, the bonobos have found ways to extend their social ties with humans -- like talking on the phone.
Savage-Rumbaugh says that talking on the phone helps Kanzi and Panbanisha cope with their odd status as creatures who socialize with humans, but are not human themselves. (Kanzi can make sounds that mean yes or no, and uses a lexigram keyboard for more complicated phone conversations.)
Other cell phone/monkey related stories:
-- Mobile phones making a monkey out of Japanese
-- Cheeky monkeys trained not to steal mobile phones
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