Monkeys know how to use money and talk in sign language – BBC

Trust and ropes

According to the study, recently published in the journal Current Biology, chimpanzees, like humans, are building their friendship on trust.

The biologists were monitoring the 15 chimpanzees in five months. Based on the terms of friendly relations, care and sharing of food, scientists have identified for each individual’s closest “friend” and the biggest “enemy».

Next, the monkeys were asked to play a game of “confidence” of 12 times with ” friend “and” foe “. The game chimpanzees had a choice: to draw “a rope of distrust” and access to food, which especially does not like, or pull the “rope of confidence”, which opens the second monkey-mate access to lots of great food. This fellow has an opportunity to share a launch with the first chimpanzee delicious meal. In other words,

choice “rope trust” provides an opportunity of mutual benefit, but only if the first two individual trusts so that certain of its reciprocal gesture.

The results showed that the chimps are friends actively used “a rope of trust”, but in a situation of interaction with the enemies of the result was quite different. The study authors conclude: human friendship is not unique, and we can find analogues of such behavior in the animal world.

Conversations with animals

Can we talk to animals, and so that the conversation was meaningful dialogue rather than a simple exorcism cat for the broken vase? The answer to this question, scientists have even in the twentieth century, having trained monkeys sign language!

One of these “talking” monkey became a chimpanzee named Washoe. After the death of her mother in Africa and the chimps raised by people trained in sign language. She could distinguish the meaning of words and could use them in different situations. After living 42 years old, the monkey learned about 350 gestures and considered himself a man of:

when Washoe asked to sort into two groups of pictures of animals and people, it can easily cope with the task of defining all monkeys in the group of animals, but always put your photo in a group of people.

Another similar story is related to the gorilla Koko, who has taken on childhood education professor at Stanford University, Penny Patterson. A few years later the gorilla knew already about 600 characters and she could show more than 350 Coco – very sociable monkey, trying to talk to everyone he meets, she explains new words by combining existing ones. On the Internet there are many movies about this amazing and very good monkey. At Coco even have own page on the social network Facebook.

Scientists also had the idea to introduce her to a male, too, knowing sign language. The researchers hope that they will be able to make friends with animals and have offspring that may be able to teach sign language is not people, and do gorillas.

Everyday work Capuchin

It is considered that the money – the material value, the meaning of which is only understood by the people. However, conducted on monkeys studies have shown that we are not alone in understanding the value of this resource.

Researchers at Yale University conducted an experiment , in which the learned Capuchin use money. In cage flocks lever was installed, the opportunity to earn “money”. “Work” was that the monkeys had to lower the arm with a force of 8 kg – for the little Capuchin monkeys, this problem is quite complex. For each lowering arm Capuchins received the grape, which was later replaced by colored plastic tokens that have different value and fulfill the role of money – tokens can be exchanged for different fruits.

Soon the pack occurred role separation into workaholic, idlers, thieves and drives.

Some individuals have sought to earn more coins, while others preferred the money to select.

At the same time the monkeys were missing earlier traits: greed, cruelty, aspiration to defend their money.

Later experiments continued, but “cost” of food changed. While the sweet grapes and sour apples cost the same, the monkey always picked the grapes, but

when the price of grapes doubled, most individuals have become permanently choose apples, only occasionally letting Me eat grapes.

Once one of the Capuchins managed to sneak into the bay, where all the “Cashier”, and gave all the money, becoming the first monkey to rob a bank. Attempts by researchers to take away his prey met undisguised aggression and shouting.

Humor and abuse

Monkeys, like people, are not without a sense of humor. The chimpanzee Washoe, talking in sign language, often used the term “fun” to describe games chase or tickling. Once it has adopted a toothbrush as a comb, and did not do it by mistake, and as a joke. For special ability was also seen to swear that one day the car, which drove the instructor and Washoe, chased the dog. Monkey several times gestures tells her to get out, saying, “Dog Grooming».

Seeing that she is not far behind, chimpanzee cursed , showing the phrase “bad dirty dog ​​».

The famous gorilla Koko, we also know how to make jokes. She often teased experimenters showing some signs wrong, and expect a response to their antics. For example, showing a sign of the verb “to drink” (podnesenie big finger to his lips), it applies it to his ear.

I – the person

understands the animals his “I” or is it peculiar to man? Interesting results were obtained experimental psychologist Gordon Gallup at the end of the last century.

Gallup put the monkey in a cage in the mirror and waited until she gets used to the subject. After this individual euthanized and applied to the ear or eyebrow odorless red dye. What was the reaction awakened monkey?

Chimpanzees and orangutans immediately began to feel himself, considering in the mirror.

The behavior of gorillas and other monkeys did not change after this procedure.

The researchers concluded that orangutans and chimpanzees have a simplified version of the “self-concept”: they realize reflected in the mirror and realize that their appearance has undergone some changes.

Emotions they are not alien

In the middle of the last century, psychologists conducted an experiment by placing a chimp in the human family to explore learning processes and modeling of forms of human behavior. As a result, the monkey, which nobody taught certain things, taught himself to imitate and repeat the action for people, uncharacteristic for animals. For example, they sat at the typewriter and pounded on the keys, stood in front of a mirror, holding lipstick to her lips, opened cans. Biologists published the results of their work in the Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology.

Primates can imitate us not only grimaces and copying our actions – scientists noticed and emotional manifestations that previously seemed quite typical of animals.

The journal Nature published an article , which asserted that the Capuchins have a sense of justice and the expectation of reward for their work.

Researchers gave couples familiar monkeys certain tasks, after which each animal receives a reward, but always in different amounts. Comrade, get less reward, considered himself deprived and began to be indignant, he refused to accept a treat or tried to throw it away.

Scientists believe such an active response to reward truly unusual animals. It is planned to further explore these reactions to more advanced forms, such as chimpanzees.

In addition, the researchers found that chimpanzees are able to distinguish good from bad deeds, even when the result of these actions does not apply to themselves. More information about the results of available in the journal Human Nature.

Biologists conducted their observations in two zoos in Switzerland. During the experiments, groups of chimpanzees were shown videos, some of which showed the monkeys for their daily activities – games or eating food, and some – showed violent scenes from the life of primates, such as the persecution and murder of several chimpanzees own baby, as well as fighting adult monkeys together.

The researchers analyzed the reaction of the chimpanzees in the reviewed records and found that the primates are the most violent and troubled perceived scenes of violence, and especially video, to demonstrate killing a baby.

All these findings allow scientists conclude: People – not such a unique creation, but the life of our little brothers can conceal many more mysteries.