{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2041472500","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","title":"The capacity of animals to acquire language: do species differences have anything to say to us?","display_name":"The capacity of animals to acquire language: do species differences have anything to say to us?","publication_year":1985,"publication_date":"1985-02-13","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2041472500","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","mag":"2041472500","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2858874"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191701","display_name":"Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences","issn_l":"0080-4622","issn":["0080-4622","2054-0280"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319787","host_organization_name":"Royal Society","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319787"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Royal Society"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5087136586","display_name":"E. Sue Savage\u2010Rumbaugh","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I150468666","display_name":"Emory University","ror":"https://ror.org/03czfpz43","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"E. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh","raw_affiliation_strings":["Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5074313137","display_name":"Rose A. Sevcik","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9967-2354","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9967-2354"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I150468666","display_name":"Emory University","ror":"https://ror.org/03czfpz43","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Rose A. Sevcik","raw_affiliation_strings":["Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5036921861","display_name":"Duane M. Rumbaugh","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I150468666","display_name":"Emory University","ror":"https://ror.org/03czfpz43","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"D.m. Rumbaugh","raw_affiliation_strings":["Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5027184453","display_name":"Elizabeth Rubert","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I150468666","display_name":"Emory University","ror":"https://ror.org/03czfpz43","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Elizabeth Rubert","raw_affiliation_strings":["Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Language Research Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, U. S. A","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I150468666"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":5.0388,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":36,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.95458528,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":89,"max":96},"biblio":{"volume":"308","issue":"1135","first_page":"177","last_page":"185"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10699","display_name":"Primate Behavior and Ecology","score":0.9320999979972839,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3207","display_name":"Social Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10699","display_name":"Primate Behavior and Ecology","score":0.9320999979972839,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3207","display_name":"Social Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12090","display_name":"Language and cultural evolution","score":0.05979999899864197,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3316","display_name":"Cultural Studies"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11665","display_name":"Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior","score":0.002300000051036477,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1309","display_name":"Developmental Biology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/13","display_name":"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/animal-language-acquisition","display_name":"animal language acquisition","score":0.9330000281333923},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/great-apes","display_name":"great apes","score":0.703000009059906},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/chimpanzees","display_name":"chimpanzees","score":0.6439999938011169},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/gorillas","display_name":"gorillas","score":0.8960000276565552},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/orangutans","display_name":"orangutans","score":0.9980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/bonobos","display_name":"bonobos","score":0.8339999914169312},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sign-language","display_name":"sign language","score":0.5479999780654907},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/symbolic-communication","display_name":"symbolic communication","score":0.7160000205039978},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/animal-communication","display_name":"animal communication","score":0.47699999809265137}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778273743","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19537","display_name":"Bonobo","level":2,"score":0.6354880332946777},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2909540838","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19537","display_name":"Pan paniscus","level":2,"score":0.5742378234863281},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777477413","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36611","display_name":"Gorilla","level":2,"score":0.5426225662231445},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C134400042","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2372244","display_name":"Symbol (formal)","level":2,"score":0.5340280532836914},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136197465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1729295","display_name":"Variety (cybernetics)","level":2,"score":0.5114699602127075},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C46312422","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11024","display_name":"Communication","level":1,"score":0.4345243275165558},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.43431463837623596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.35361605882644653},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41895202","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8162","display_name":"Linguistics","level":1,"score":0.34405550360679626},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.2755975127220154},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.2659011483192444},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18903297","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7150","display_name":"Ecology","level":1,"score":0.25630486011505127},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.23677396774291992},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90856448","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q431","display_name":"Zoology","level":1,"score":0.2073023021221161},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C19165224","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23404","display_name":"Anthropology","level":1,"score":0.20430997014045715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.17450284957885742},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.1198779046535492}],"mesh":[{"descriptor_ui":"D000818","descriptor_name":"Animals","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D001522","descriptor_name":"Behavior, Animal","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D002679","descriptor_name":"Pan troglodytes","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D005260","descriptor_name":"Female","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D006801","descriptor_name":"Humans","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D007802","descriptor_name":"Language","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D008297","descriptor_name":"Male","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D009633","descriptor_name":"Nonverbal Communication","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D013045","descriptor_name":"Species Specificity","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D015186","descriptor_name":"Hominidae","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true}],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0018","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191701","display_name":"Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences","issn_l":"0080-4622","issn":["0080-4622","2054-0280"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319787","host_organization_name":"Royal Society","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319787"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Royal Society"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:2858874","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2858874","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences","raw_type":"Journal Article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G243208949","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"RR-00 165","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337375","funder_display_name":"National Center for Research Resources"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G352801226","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"NICHD-06016","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337611","funder_display_name":"Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337375","display_name":"National Center for Research Resources","ror":"https://ror.org/04pw6fb54"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337611","display_name":"Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development","ror":"https://ror.org/04byxyr05"}],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":12,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W634913096","https://openalex.org/W1581882813","https://openalex.org/W1592477652","https://openalex.org/W1935705351","https://openalex.org/W1976823830","https://openalex.org/W2006442011","https://openalex.org/W2013001937","https://openalex.org/W2023287691","https://openalex.org/W2047887257","https://openalex.org/W2071014924","https://openalex.org/W2141538250","https://openalex.org/W2487594302"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W1952225397","https://openalex.org/W4230362685","https://openalex.org/W9716612","https://openalex.org/W1499807536","https://openalex.org/W65291082","https://openalex.org/W2079214866","https://openalex.org/W2626476719","https://openalex.org/W4288059889","https://openalex.org/W2049052448","https://openalex.org/W3080381571"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Following":[0],"the":[1,58,63,104,108,112,116,121,139,174],"Gardners'":[2],"discovery":[3],"that":[4,129,150],"an":[5],"ape":[6,165],"named":[7],"Washoe":[8],"could":[9],"learn":[10],"to":[11,21,61,95,119,142,172,178],"produce":[12],"and":[13,46,75,137],"combine":[14],"a":[15,28,163,183],"number":[16],"of":[17,30,51,66,70,103,123,147],"hand":[18],"movements":[19],"similar":[20],"those":[22],"used":[23,37,42,48],"by":[24],"deaf":[25],"human":[26],"beings,":[27],"variety":[29],"'ape-language":[31],"projects'":[32],"sprang":[33],"up.":[34],"Some":[35],"projects":[36],"different":[38,43,49],"symbol":[39],"systems,":[40],"others":[41,47],"training":[44],"techniques,":[45],"species":[50,69,166,177],"apes.":[52],"While":[53],"debate":[54],"still":[55],"rages":[56],"regarding":[57],"appropriate":[59],"way":[60],"interpret":[62],"symbolic":[64,148,180],"productions":[65],"apes,":[67],"three":[68],"great":[71],"apes":[72,87],"(gorilla,":[73],"orangutan,":[74],"chimpanzee)":[76],"have":[77,90,96,114],"now":[78],"been":[79,91],"credited":[80],"with":[81],"this":[82],"capacity":[83],"while":[84],"no":[85],"lesser":[86],"or":[88],"monkeys":[89],"reported,":[92],"at":[93,144],"present,":[94],"acquired":[97],"such":[98],"communicative":[99],"skills.":[100],"Among":[101],"all":[102],"claims":[105],"made":[106],"for":[107],"various":[109],"animal":[110],"species,":[111],"philosophers":[113],"entered":[115],"fray":[117],"attempting":[118],"define":[120],"essence":[122],"what":[124],"it":[125,131],"is":[126,170],"about":[127],"language":[128],"makes":[130],"'human'.":[132],"This":[133],"paper":[134],"will":[135,157],"compare":[136],"contrast":[138],"above":[140],"positions":[141],"arrive":[143],"behavioural":[145],"definitions":[146],"usage":[149],"can":[151],"be":[152,173],"applied":[153],"across":[154],"species.":[155],"It":[156],"then":[158],"present":[159],"new":[160],"data":[161],"on":[162],"fourth":[164],"Pan":[167],"paniscus":[168],"which":[169],"proving":[171],"first":[175],"non-human":[176],"acquire":[179],"skills":[181],"in":[182],"spontaneous":[184],"manner.":[185]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2014,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2013,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2012,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2026-11-03T10:50:19.383937","created_date":"2016-06-24T00:00:00"}
