|"Humanness" cannot be judged based upon a primate's intelligence. (Artwork by Thomas Finley)|
A comparison between the hairless forms of three other great apes with a human, showing how anatomically similar we are.
(Image Source: Time-Life Nature Library book Evolution)
|Size comparison of the extant great apes, by Harry Wilson.|
(Image Source: http://harry-the-fox.deviantart.com/art/Great-Ape-Size-Chart-289688196)
Another faulty argument is that the alleged intelligence and behaviors of sasquatch prove that they are a "kind of people." It is often claimed that "apes are unintelligent," which is very incorrect in light of recent discoveries regarding our closest living relatives (examples of which I will now share). A lowland gorilla named Koko has gained a vocabulary of over 1,000 signed words, understands about 2,000 spoken English words, and has even initiated conversations with people.2 Kanzi, a male bonobo born in 1980, was the first nonhuman ape to acquire language by being exposed to it and to show receptive understanding of spoken English.2 A male orangutan at Washington D.C.'s National Zoo has exhibited the ability to communicate his thoughts through unrelated keyboard symbols and make logical choices which show mental flexibility, thus showing that a nonhuman ape could attribute meaning to otherwise meaningless arbitrary symbols.2 Several great ape species have been known to exhibit tool use; examples being use of walking sticks by gorillas, creation of stone tools by bonobos, creations of "spears" by chimpanzees, and use of twigs to "fish" for insects by chimpanzees.2 As Professor of Psychology Anne Russon has pointed out, tool use requires higher intelligence as it involves refashioning what nature has provided to achieve a goal.2 Chimpanzees have also been observed seeking out and disabling snare traps set by poachers in the wild, have been seen to exhibit what appears to be grief at the death of another chimpanzee, and have much better short-term memory than humans (as evident by memory tests).2, 3, 4 Although there are more examples of the surprising intelligence of nonhuman apes, I think that the aforementioned exemplars were some of the most striking.
|Koko the lowland communicating with observers through sign language. |
(Image Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/08/pictures/110805-rise-planet-apes-movie-science-chimps-gorillas-tools/#/primate-intelligence-milestones-koko-gorilla-sign-language_38362_600x450.jpg)
Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, a professor of physical anthropology at Idaho State University and a role model of mine, had recently posted this statement on Facebook along with images of other ape species interacting with dogs and other non-primate animals. I thought that it would be appropriate to reproduce this statement as a conclusion for this article, as it reflects the point which other researchers and I have been trying to make.
- "Humans Are Apes - 'Great Apes' - Australian Museum." Humans Are Apes â 'Great Apes' - Australian Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013. http://australianmuseum.net.au/Humans-are-apes-Great-Apes.
- Geographic, Photograph By Michael Nichols, National. "How Smart Are Planet's Apes? 7 Intelligence Milestones." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 08 July 2013. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/08/pictures/110805-rise-planet-apes-movie-science-chimps-gorillas-tools/.
- "Texas Cryptid Hunter: Chimpanzees Outwitting Poachers in Africa." Texas Cryptid Hunter: Chimpanzees Outwitting Poachers in Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013. http://texascryptidhunter.blogspot.com/2010/10/chimpanzees-outwitting-poachers-in.html.
- "Texas Cryptid Hunter: Grieving Chimpanzees." Texas Cryptid Hunter: Grieving Chimpanzees. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013. http://texascryptidhunter.blogspot.com/2009/10/grieving-chimpanzees.html.