Chimpanzees and bonobos share 99 per cent of DNA found in humans, therefore it is not unexpected that linguists are fascinated by whether apes hold the potential to acquire language. Measured against design features that are present in... more
Chimpanzees and bonobos share 99 per cent of DNA found in humans, therefore it is not unexpected that linguists are fascinated by whether apes hold the potential to acquire language. Measured against design features that are present in genuine language, the results of these studies make it clear there is no confirmation that apes have this capacity. This can be confirmed by investigating which design features of human language are present in animal communication, analysing studies related to the acquisition of language by apes within the framework of design features, and examining how the methodology of each study called the outcomes into question.
