Among gorillas, as with all primate species, language skills are a learned rather than an instinctive behaviour. While only humans (Homo sapiens sapiens), out of the currently extant primate species, have evolved the vocal cords and voice box that enables us to produce the variety of sounds that rivals cetacean species for complexity, if not transmission speed, it is recognised by communication specialists that even we humans, when face to face, communicate primarily through the kinesics (body language) of facial expression and body posture, and by tonal inflection. Perhaps because most people are capable of lying verbally, but only a few can lie effectively using body language. These are the same language components utilised by the six species and subspecies of gorilla.
The definition of “language” provided by www.thefreedictionary.com includes “A system of signs, symbols, gestures, or rules used in communicating” and “The manner or means of communication between living creatures other than humans.” Such definitions clearly include the communication that occurs within the social groups of gorillas.
Young gorillas, whether African or western (Gorilla gorilla), western lowland (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), cross river (Gorilla gorilla diehli), Bwindi (Gorilla beringei), mountain (Gorilla beringei beringei) or the eastern lowland (Gorilla beringei graueri), acquire the language of their social group by observing and listening to the older members around them. It is essential that they do so for the future cohesion and success of the group. While the young will be tolerated, even by the dominant male, as they grow older they will be expected to communicate effectively. Young adult males need to be able to express submission to dominant males or risk triggering an aggressive response before they are ready to challenge for position within the hierarchy. Females need to be able to communicate sexual readiness for the continued propagation of the group.
When it comes to evaluating the language faculty of other animals, many people, including researchers, tend to take a rather anthropocentric viewpoint. Such studies tend to focus on the ability of the test animals to learn human languages, such as human devised hand signals, whistles and vocal commands for dolphins and killer whales and sign language and picture recognition in primates. There seems to be little effort on the part of researchers to use their “greater intelligence” to decipher the “less complex” language of the subject species. It can be quite legitimately claimed that dolphins have acquired the ability to communicate with us on our terms to a far greater extent than we have on theirs. Not really surprising since dolphin brains, although comparatively smaller, are more convoluted than ours and research comparing human brain size to intelligence quotients (IQs) has shown no correlation between our brain size and intelligence.
The most famous research study featuring gorillas and language is the long-term Project Koko run by the Gorilla Foundation since the late 1970s. This has included an “Internet chat” in 1998 and Koko’s first medical check in 20 years and the removal of a tooth in 2004 when she made the sign for pain in the American sign language and pointed to her mouth. The Foundation and their supporters report that Koko has learned over a thousand signs in American sign language, while detractors point out that all communications go through the interpretation of her handlers. Perhaps we should recognise that gorillas, particularly females, are naturally quiet, shy creatures rather than media stars. She has also been asked to learn a language based on human brain structure and semantics, that may not use a verbal component but has vocalising in its semantic history. Has any human managed to learn any gorilla language besides Jane Goodall?
