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Washoe, a Chimp of Many Words, Dies at 42
Topic Started: Nov 1 2007, 08:53 PM (29 Views)
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Washoe, a Chimp of Many Words, Dies at 42
By BENEDICT CAREY, November 1, 2007

She spent her early years playing in the backyard of a small house in Reno, Nev., learning American Sign Language from the scientists who adopted her, and by age 5 she had mastered enough signs to capture the world’s attention and set off a debate over nonhuman primates’ ability to learn human language that continues to this day.

But on Tuesday night, Washoe, a chimpanzee born in West Africa, died after a short illness, said Mary Lee Jensvold, assistant director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, where Washoe had lived and learned for more than two decades. The chimp died in bed at age 42, surrounded by staff members and other primates who had been close to her, Dr. Jensvold said.

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A former student of the Gardners, Roger Fouts, and his wife, Deborah, took Washoe in 1980 to Ellensburg, Wash., where she became matriarch to three younger chimps, Loulis, Tatu and Dar. She had a gentle touch with them, Dr. Jensvold said, and kept an eye on the habits — and footwear — of her human companions.

“She always checked out your shoes, and if you had new ones she’d sign for you to show them to her,” Dr. Jensvold said. “Then she might sign something about the color. She was a real shoe lady that way.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/science/...5&partner=MYWAY
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VickiNC
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This was so sad to hear. But isn't it amazing that Washoe was able to aid in teaching a couple of other primates sign language?
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