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Gamma Squad
GammaSquad is the geek blog that knows who shot first, but isn't telling.



12.09.09 MONKEYS ARE ASSUREDLY PLOTTING AGAINST US

baconking_frogmandotme

  Don’t try to win me over with bacon, monkey. I’m on to you.

A team of crack researchers (as opposed to researchers on crack; that’s us) led by Klaus Zuberbühler of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland claim to have discovered a language and syntax used by the Campbell’s monkeys of Ivory Coast.  If true, this is the first time a species besides humans has been shown to form complete sentences.

Campbell’s monkeys have six different types of individual calls, each of which has a distinct meaning. What’s surprising, however, is that these monkeys actually string together multiple types of calls to create communications with entirely new meanings. [...] The team has identified the meanings of the individual calls, as well as how they can be combined to form completely different communications:
The “boom-boom” call invites other monkeys to come toward the male making the sound. Two booms can be combined with a series of “krak-oos,” with a meaning entirely different to that of either of its components. “Boom boom krak-oo krak-oo krak-oo” is the monkey’s version of “Timber!” – it warns of falling trees.
stevethemonkeyCombining the “boom-booms” and “krak-oos” with a third sound, “hok-oo,” warns monkeys of the presence of other monkey groups. [io9]

Zuberbühler’s team was only saved from monkey destruction by one thing: the monkeys couldn’t figure out how to tell each other to “get Zuberbühler”.  They pointed and said, “Hey, kill that guy” in their monkey syntax, but there was a mixup and they thought “that guy” was the monkey standing next to him.  Steve.  Steve the monkey.  He’ll be missed.

[Banner pic via thefrogman]

3 Comments » BY: RoboPanda | TAGS: LINGUISTICS, MONKEYS, Science, UK
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There are 3 comments about:
MONKEYS ARE ASSUREDLY PLOTTING AGAINST US

December 9th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Stone Soup says:

Boom boom krak-oo krak-oo krak-oo is the monkey’s version of “Timber!”

Researchers are still unable to decipher a similar call from the long-haired and very jittery monkey that they call “Diamond Dave”. He will sometimes inexplicably exclaim “Bols de bols de bop, diddy bop!”

December 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
AEVC again says:

These aren’t the same monkeys that super strength serum was being tested on, are they?

Klaus Zuberbühler doesn’t sound very Scottish. More Irish.

December 9th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Leapin_Lizards says:

So Steve dies but Lindsay Lohan is still alive? Fuck that.

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