Weird random thought on primate communication

[Jed Dilligan]

This came out of the porn wars today--I was wondering if apes could respond to 2-D sexual imagery.

Then I started wondering if anyone has tried to build a computer interface for primates--sort of like the next step after KoKo. Think about it--instead of just researchers, we might all get an opportunity to chat with an ape without visiting FreeRepublic.com.

Any thoughts, including the obvious humorous ones?

[ismnotwasm]

1. Chimpanzee's or Bonobos?

Or does it matter? They are our closest relatives, right? With very different sexual behavior patterns if I recall. Bonobos not needing imagery at all is my guess, but who knows. I can check the University library, there HAS to be a study or two. It just never occurred to me to look.

[HamdenRice]

2. Before the sign language experiments

there were experiments using something like a giant lighted keyboard with symbols instead of letters. If I remember correctly, not only did the chimps learn to communicate through the board, but they had an elementary form of grammar. I think in fact the keyboard experiments spurred the sign language experiments.

[skater314159]

3. You're correct...

... they did use a giant lighted symbolboard to communicate with both gorillas and chimps (not positive enough about experiments with bonobos - and I haven't my text/reference books to hand, so I can't say about them) and the fact that the primates were able to use the symbolboard to communicate opened up new avenues in biological, linguistic and evolutionary Anthropology.

The fact that the key/symbolboard could be used reliably - added to the fact that the chimps and gorillas came up with ways to combine symbols to make additional words not available on the original key/symbolboard, was what allowed the researchers to see that the gorillas and chimps were working with some sort of a grammar. The chimps and gorillas were using linguistic "rules" to communicate with the researchers, and when they were given more complicated forms of communication, they were able to use them competently.

Peace :hippie:

[Ilsa]

4. Maybe I dreamed this, but didn't they use some kind of porn to get

some primates to mate in captivity a few years ago? Some sort of 2-D sexual imagery?

[Jed Dilligan]

5. I found a reference in regard to PANDAS of all things

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~english/PandaPorn

Not very detailed. Apes seem like a longshot--pandas like a VERY longshot!

[dropkickpa]

6. I actually saw a report

somewhere about adult male rhesus macaques that would choose, instead of juice treats, to look at a picture of a female monkeys butt. Seriously.

found it!


news article ---> http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_1298389.htm

Photographing monkeys' behinds
Next, the researchers took photographs of the macaques and loaded them into a computer program. Some females were photographed from behind, so that the image showed a close-up of their hindquarters. Other pictures were head shots of both males and females.

Four of the male monkeys then sat in front of computer screens. They were rewarded with juice whenever they shifted their gaze from one image to another. Some images resulted in more juice than other photos.

When given the choice between a photo of a low-status male with a high juice reward and a photo of a female's hindquarters, the male test subjects refused the extra juice so that they could gaze at the sexy female images. They also "paid" with juice to see photos of high-status males.

Conversely, the male monkeys required extra payment, meaning more juice, to view the faces of low-status males and females.

actual research article --> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VRT-4FTG8DG-T&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F29%2F2005&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=026cea970f6b9afb949dbccf569c3a0b