Monkey See

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Clever Monkeys on PBS's Nature is a presentation of monkeys' human~like characteristics. Not human~like apes mind you. Apes we know to be close relatives.

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Monkeys.

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Monkeys live in family groups and communities, that we already know. And we were beginning to discover that some use tools. Also, monkey infants spend quite a long time with mother before they are independent, years even.

But did you know that monkeys can organize babysitters?

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That they can deceive and trick which has usually been a human trait.

And now language. Monkeys speak different languages and even are able to learn languages from other groups...foreign languages!

Monkey's have calls, howls and screeches.

Just like humans.

(HA!)

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They also have body language.

And feelings.

Did anyone doubt that monkeys had feelings?

We know that dogs do,

and if you watch those darn ravens,

you can see the deceit in their beady black eyes.

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I just love animal programs!

I love learning, just like the monkeys do!

What a diverse bunch!

From PBS

"No animals have all the aspects of human language, but several species have some. Diana monkeys, seen in Clever Monkeys, are some of the most clever monkeys when it comes to language. They combine calls to make sentence-like messages. This requires grammar.

The meaning of the “sentence” depends on what sounds are included and in what order. Added sounds convey more information, like 'maybe,' or 'not urgent.'

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The meaning of the “sentence” depends on what sounds are included and in what order. Added sounds convey more information, like “maybe,” or “not urgent.” Each predator has an assigned call. The eagle call differs from the jaguar call, meaning Diana monkey language includes semantics: signals convey meaning and refer to features in the real world. And what’s more impressive is that the Diana monkeys can understand other species of monkeys.

Putty-nosed guenons also combine calls, and their messages can be understood by the Diana monkeys. A remarkable example of multilingual primates is seen in Clever Monkeys, with eight different monkey species living together and listening to each other.

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With eight times as many eyes on the lookout, it’s much harder for predators to go unnoticed. Each of the eight species has at least 15 distinct calls — that’s 120 different sounds to remember.

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There aren’t many humans that speak eight different languages."

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