Vicki (chimpanzee)
Encyclopedia
Viki was the subject of one of the first experiments in ape language. Viki was raised by Keith and Catherine Hayes in the same manner as a human
infant
, to see if she could learn human words. She was given speech therapy, which involved the Hayeses (her adoptees) manipulating her lower jaw. Eventually, she was able to voice four words:
This extremely limited success was at first interpreted as evidence that apes were not capable of using human language. However, further experiments in which chimpanzees were instructed in the use of American sign language
indicated that Viki's achievements had been significantly hampered by physiological limitations—chimpanzees are not able to produce the sounds that make up human speech.
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
, to see if she could learn human words. She was given speech therapy, which involved the Hayeses (her adoptees) manipulating her lower jaw. Eventually, she was able to voice four words:
- mama
- papa
- up
- cup
This extremely limited success was at first interpreted as evidence that apes were not capable of using human language. However, further experiments in which chimpanzees were instructed in the use of American sign language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
indicated that Viki's achievements had been significantly hampered by physiological limitations—chimpanzees are not able to produce the sounds that make up human speech.