Comments on: Monkey Talks In Sentences

By: Redskelter

Redskelter — Fri, 19 May 2006 22:00:36 +0000

Greetings all,

Loren, I remember bringing this topic up in a conversation with you at a Cryptozoology conference in Greenville South Carolina a few years back (around the time of the “Skunk Ape” flap of Lafollette, TN). I thought you folks might be interested in this article I published in FATE magazine in October of 2004.

It mentions many of the same stories discussed on this blog already, including those of the Chehalis of Harrison Lake. Subsequently, I have corresponded with a man from Idaho who claims to be “very certain” of their vocal abilities, which he says he bases on field experiences with the animals. Who knows…maybe an excuse to filter more from the linguistic perspective of Anthropology, eh?

Best,

Micah Hanks

By: lamarkable

lamarkable — Fri, 19 May 2006 14:09:37 +0000

The researchers themselves say it is far from a conclusive theory. I would not jump to conclusions or assumptions prematurely but it is certainly interesting. A potentiality of informational bits in a combinatory matrix outside of the whole system’s reciprocal balance of same does not a match make.

By: Chymo

Chymo — Fri, 19 May 2006 13:33:20 +0000

By: Ranatemporaria

Ranatemporaria — Fri, 19 May 2006 11:18:04 +0000

Tabitca

Sorry I obviously interpreted your comment the wrong way! And yes it would be very interesting to know what they say though the mundane truth would probably be “Snake!” or “Nuts!” or perhaps “what is time if not simply a perception of our own consciousness, oh look some nuts!”
lol

By: Ranatemporaria

Ranatemporaria — Fri, 19 May 2006 10:49:17 +0000

Im Sorry Chymo but im currently studying a Masters in Ecology Biodiversity and Speciation, I find that revelation both surprising and exiting. The fact that this study does indeed trace a single phylogeny of our ancestral heritage to Chimps is worthy of note. I understand that the DNA sequencing methods used are not definitive, but the whole point of this story is that it may have been a straight line! I think you missed the relevance here! There may well have been several instances of cladiogenesis along the way but the fact that gene flow was still occurring a mere 4 m.y.a opposed to the previous estimates of divergence 6.5m.y.a. This may mean complete divergence could not have occurred until this point, and prior to it there is a possibility of multiple viable hybrids being produced. Therefore this does raise questions as to the possibilities of other fossil hominids being the results of parallel or covergent evolution as opposed to ancestral Humans! I think that is supprising!

By: Chymo

Chymo — Fri, 19 May 2006 07:46:25 +0000

The irritating thing is that most people think evolution is a clear & linear process. We look at fossils & that nice graphic of the ape turning into an upright man, & we assume that evolution takes place in a straight line, like a graph, from less sophisticated to greater sophistication.

It’s not like that. Evolution is not linear. This new finding on ancient proto-human interaction with other species is only surprising to the layman.

By: Tabitca

Tabitca — Thu, 18 May 2006 20:48:38 +0000

re my earlier comment on the interbreeding-of course the implication for cryptozoology is that the bigfoot could be a hybrid from those times. that I find really exciting!:-) and so may have speech!

By: Tabitca

Tabitca — Thu, 18 May 2006 20:45:23 +0000

Ranatemporaria -sorry only just seen your comment. no I thought when i saw the title that apes had used sign language or word cards to make sentences which would have been a great breakthrough. The comment about wanting to know what they say is simply i would love to know what they say to each other. Do they chat or simply convey needed messages such as food here etc.
I wasn’t inferring that it wasn’t interesting or exciting just wasn’t what i expected.C’est La vie

By: Tabitca

Tabitca — Thu, 18 May 2006 20:40:33 +0000

They were suggesting that just after Humans’ and Chimps’ common ancestor split into species there was a lot of hybridisation (cross-breeding) between these new species, causing the unexpected genomic patterns we see in the human and chimp genomes. I did post a link to the original article in the talking sasquatch thread earlier today.
Basically to quote a colleague we were chimp shaggers (sorry if I offend anyone with that)

By: Ranatemporaria

Ranatemporaria — Thu, 18 May 2006 19:32:05 +0000

It certainly blurs things up a little thats for certain! I might be wrong but i read this as “there is no missing link”. We diverged from apes and all that that proceeds this divergence (and isnt homosapien)is either a hybrid or a species diverged from our lineage or that of Chimps/Apes? Am i right here? Is there a geneticist in the house?