Word: chimp
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...surprisingly, then, accounts of the first language experiments with apes in the 1970s produced one of the most fractious debates in the history of the behavioral sciences. Washoe the chimp and Koko the gorilla became famous for their linguistic feats using sign language, but scientists argued bitterly over the significance. Did the "speech" of these animals reflect a genuine ability to think symbolically and communicate thought, or was it largely the result of rote conditioning or of cuing -- a la Hans -- by trainers? Skepticism carried the day, and researchers who had dedicated their lives to working with the apes...
...donated $55,000 to a zoo near his hometown of Norfolk, Neb. Why? Reuben, 7, the installation's only chimp, has outgrown his temporary quarters, a fortified mobile home. Carson's largesse will pay for a permanent primate exhibit -- and perhaps buy Reuben a female companion...