Evidence of Consciousness in Other Animals
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:42 am
I feel this topic may warrant it's own section but we'll see if anyone else has a comment. I have been reading a lot about chimpanzee behavior and the results of teaching apes sign language. I realize there is a lot of debate about whether chimps are actually communicating or just learning complex systems of obtaining rewards for certain behavior. But just as Jaynes theories should not be readily dismissed, neither should the work of these researchers. I was particularly interested on the impact of the following assertions on Jaynes' hypotheses:
"Under double-blind conditions, we have found that the chimpanzees communicate information in American Sign Language (ASL) to human observers. They use signs to refer to natural language categories: e.g. DOG for any dog, FLOWER for any flower, SHOE for any shoe, etc. The chimpanzees acquire and spontaneously use their signs to communicate with humans and each other about the normal course of surrounding events. They have demonstrated an ability to invent new signs or combine signs to metaphorically label a novel item, for example: calling a radish CRY HURT FOOD or referring to a watermelon as a DRINK FRUIT. In a double-blind condition, the chimpanzees can comprehend and produce novel prepositional phrases, understand vocal English words, translate words into their ASL glosses and even transmit their signing skills to the next generation without human intervention. Their play behavior has demonstrated that they use the same types of imaginary play as humans. It has also been demonstrated that they carry on chimpanzee-to-chimpanzee conversation and sign to themselves when alone. Conversational research shows the chimpanzees initiate and maintain conversations in ways that are like humans. The chimpanzees can repair a conversation if there is misunderstanding. They will also sign to themselves when alone and we have even observed them to sign in their sleep."
I was particularly interested that the Chimps sign to themselves. Perhaps this is just repetition of the behavior that brings rewards, but could it be they are employing language as a cognitive tool? Or could they have their own version of sign language bicamerality going on? If consciousness can be learned, then can it be taught to nonhumans?
Here is another relevant excerpt from the same website:
"Fall 2005 - Tennyson Egan
CHIMPANZEES EXHIBIT IMAGINARY PLAY
Friends of Washoe, Fall 2005, Number 1
It has been said that imaginary play is unique and limited to humans. However, it has been found in previous research that nonhuman species demonstrate imaginary play. In this study, the researcher investigated imaginary play in a group of five signing chimpanzees. The researcher viewed and analyzed over 67 hours of videotaped chimpanzee behavior, recorded over an 18-year period, for imaginary play. A total of 21 instances of imaginary play were found and classified in four of six categories of imagination. The important conclusion in this study is that imaginary play is demonstrated by species other than humans. This study provides evidence that imaginary play represents a phylogenetic continuity rather than a discontinuity."
Unfortunately, from this abstract it is impossible to tell if this "imaginative play" would require self-reflective consciousness but it is another clue.
There is also the case of Humpback Whales whose 1/2 hour songs change bit by bit over time unlike bird songs. It is a leap to infer that this means they have a linear memory of their songs or that they plan them out but it is once again a clue.
Then there are the elephants and their graveyards. Why would elephants display what appears to be mourning behavior? Does it indicate that they have a concept of mortality? Does this require consciousness?
I'd like to know what others think.
"Under double-blind conditions, we have found that the chimpanzees communicate information in American Sign Language (ASL) to human observers. They use signs to refer to natural language categories: e.g. DOG for any dog, FLOWER for any flower, SHOE for any shoe, etc. The chimpanzees acquire and spontaneously use their signs to communicate with humans and each other about the normal course of surrounding events. They have demonstrated an ability to invent new signs or combine signs to metaphorically label a novel item, for example: calling a radish CRY HURT FOOD or referring to a watermelon as a DRINK FRUIT. In a double-blind condition, the chimpanzees can comprehend and produce novel prepositional phrases, understand vocal English words, translate words into their ASL glosses and even transmit their signing skills to the next generation without human intervention. Their play behavior has demonstrated that they use the same types of imaginary play as humans. It has also been demonstrated that they carry on chimpanzee-to-chimpanzee conversation and sign to themselves when alone. Conversational research shows the chimpanzees initiate and maintain conversations in ways that are like humans. The chimpanzees can repair a conversation if there is misunderstanding. They will also sign to themselves when alone and we have even observed them to sign in their sleep."
I was particularly interested that the Chimps sign to themselves. Perhaps this is just repetition of the behavior that brings rewards, but could it be they are employing language as a cognitive tool? Or could they have their own version of sign language bicamerality going on? If consciousness can be learned, then can it be taught to nonhumans?
Here is another relevant excerpt from the same website:
"Fall 2005 - Tennyson Egan
CHIMPANZEES EXHIBIT IMAGINARY PLAY
Friends of Washoe, Fall 2005, Number 1
It has been said that imaginary play is unique and limited to humans. However, it has been found in previous research that nonhuman species demonstrate imaginary play. In this study, the researcher investigated imaginary play in a group of five signing chimpanzees. The researcher viewed and analyzed over 67 hours of videotaped chimpanzee behavior, recorded over an 18-year period, for imaginary play. A total of 21 instances of imaginary play were found and classified in four of six categories of imagination. The important conclusion in this study is that imaginary play is demonstrated by species other than humans. This study provides evidence that imaginary play represents a phylogenetic continuity rather than a discontinuity."
Unfortunately, from this abstract it is impossible to tell if this "imaginative play" would require self-reflective consciousness but it is another clue.
There is also the case of Humpback Whales whose 1/2 hour songs change bit by bit over time unlike bird songs. It is a leap to infer that this means they have a linear memory of their songs or that they plan them out but it is once again a clue.
Then there are the elephants and their graveyards. Why would elephants display what appears to be mourning behavior? Does it indicate that they have a concept of mortality? Does this require consciousness?
I'd like to know what others think.