Happy Atheist Forum

General => Obituaries => Topic started by: Recusant on June 22, 2018, 12:11:22 PM

Title: Koko, the Fine Gorilla Person
Post by: Recusant on June 22, 2018, 12:11:22 PM
She used sign language to help us understand a bit more about how our simian relatives think.

"Koko, the beloved gorilla who communicated through sign-language, dies at age 46" | Popular Science (https://www.popsci.com/koko-sign-language-gorilla)

Quote
(https://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/655_1x_/public/images/2018/06/koko_kitten_tx800.jpg)

Koko cuddles All Ball, her very first kitten, who tragically died after getting hit by a car in 1985.
Image Credit: Ron Cohn/The Gorilla Foundation





Koko, the gorilla famous for her ability to communicate using American Sign Language, died in her sleep Tuesday morning at age 46. Her passing leaves the world to mourn the loss of a most beloved primate, who gave humans an unprecedented window into the thoughts of another species.

That Koko was incredible is indisputable. She clearly thought so, too—"queen" was one of the first signs she used to describe herself. And she got publicity that royalty would envy. Koko graced the cover of National Geographic twice; one cover captured a tender moment between Koko and her pet kitten "All Ball" (Koko was fond of rhymes), the other, Koko snapped herself using a camera in the mirror.

Koko made a remarkable contribution to our understanding of primate cognition and the species' capacity for communication. She could execute more than 1,000 signs (and some new ones, like barrette, she supposedly concocted herself), and respond to 2,000 words of spoken English.

[Continues . . . (https://www.popsci.com/koko-sign-language-gorilla)]
Title: Re: Koko, the Fine Gorilla Person
Post by: Dave on June 22, 2018, 12:14:30 PM
Quote from: Recusant on June 22, 2018, 12:11:22 PM
She used sign language to help us understand a bit more about how our simian relatives think.

"Koko, the beloved gorilla who communicated through sign-language, dies at age 46" | Popular Science (https://www.popsci.com/koko-sign-language-gorilla)

Quote
(https://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/655_1x_/public/images/2018/06/koko_kitten_tx800.jpg)

Koko cuddles All Ball, her very first kitten, who tragically died after getting hit by a car in 1985.
Image Credit: Ron Cohn/The Gorilla Foundation





Koko, the gorilla famous for her ability to communicate using American Sign Language, died in her sleep Tuesday morning at age 46. Her passing leaves the world to mourn the loss of a most beloved primate, who gave humans an unprecedented window into the thoughts of another species.

That Koko was incredible is indisputable. She clearly thought so, too—"queen" was one of the first signs she used to describe herself. And she got publicity that royalty would envy. Koko graced the cover of National Geographic twice; one cover captured a tender moment between Koko and her pet kitten "All Ball" (Koko was fond of rhymes), the other, Koko snapped herself using a camera in the mirror.

Koko made a remarkable contribution to our understanding of primate cognition and the species' capacity for communication. She could execute more than 1,000 signs (and some new ones, like barrette, she supposedly concocted herself), and respond to 2,000 words of spoken English.

[Continues . . . (https://www.popsci.com/koko-sign-language-gorilla)]

Yes, this was sad news, she was a fascinating personality.

https://youtu.be/SNuZ4OE6vCk
Title: Re: Koko, the Fine Gorilla Person
Post by: xSilverPhinx on June 23, 2018, 02:15:31 PM
Sad to hear that she died. Am a little surprised that she died at 46, though. I would have thought that gorillas who are cared for would live beyond 50 years.
Title: Re: Koko, the Fine Gorilla Person
Post by: Bluenose on June 24, 2018, 10:26:01 AM
So sad to hear of Koko's passing.  She taught us something beyond value IMHO: that the difference between humans and other animals, or at least the great apes, is one of degree, not kind. The idea that humans are completely different to animals has forever been shown to be false.  Vale Koko.
Title: Re: Koko, the Fine Gorilla Person
Post by: Ecurb Noselrub on June 24, 2018, 06:42:41 PM
I would think that calling herself "queen" would indicate a level of self-consciousness that I think the higher mammals have.  Learning language probably helped her develop this awareness.