Washoe, a female chimpanzee who learned 250 words of ASL recently died of natural causes. She is widely considered the first non-human to gain human language, although some psycholinguists, including Steven Pinker, contest this theory as being without scientific backing. It seems to me , though, that there is plenty of backing for the idea that Washoe acquired at least a little human language. Her progress was carefully monitored and "for her to be considered 'reliable' on a sign, it had to be seen by three different observers in three separate instances. Then it had to be seen 15 days in a row to be added to her sign list." Also, she taught ASL to three other chimps. Such repetition of signs suggests scientific evidence rather than random chance.

Looking further into the significance of human-chimp communication, I found that some scientists consider the connection an important vista into the origins of language. Because chimpanzees are so genetically similar to humans, some scientists believe that in considering chimps we gain insight into the primitive levels of our own psychology. Considerable evidence exists to suggest that chimps actually have a relatively firm grasp of human language. Accourding to http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/language/chimpanzee.html:

Many linguists still believe that apes have no real grasp of human language, but are merely imitating their human companions. They insist that while apes may understand individual symbols or words, they do not understand the concepts of syntax, or how words are put together to form a complete idea. However, evidence is continually proving that the nonhuman primate mind is capable of advanced thought (Rayl 89).

Chimpanzees have shown the ability to communicate using ASL to human observers and other chimpanzees about the normal course of surrounding events. They use signs to create natural language categories; for example, they will sign "dog" when shown many different species of dogs and "shoe" whether it be a slipper or a cowboy boot. They can invent new signs and combine signs to metaphorically express something different, for example: calling a radish "cry hurt food" or referring to a watermelon as a "drink fruit" (Fouts). They can comprehend and produce novel prepositional phrases, understand vocal English, translate words into ASL and even transmit their signing skills to the next generation without human intervention.

Even if chimps lack the grammar and syntax to organize complex ideas, their ability to categorize objects such as dogs and shoes and their ability to communicate metaphorically suggests some higher level of thought.

Another of the Google News Alert links led to an article on bat language, which seems to be even more primitive than chimp language, but is apparently far more advanced than humans had previously thought. Apparently, a bat pup's isolation calls can communicate its identity, its location and its wish to nurse.

This use of so-called "language" by other species leads to many questions. What exactly is language? What do humans do that makes us different from other species? Are humans the only species to truly use language or are some other species' methods of communication advanced enough to also be called "language." How does our mastery of a language superior to that of the chimps affect the ways we think and live our lives?

It seems to me that because we are capable of more complex and abstract thoughts than chimps, we are also capable of forming more complex institutions. Our highly bureaucratic societies are able to run because of the structural support provided by our language. Without such support, we would remain like the chimps, loosely organized into wild bands, but incapable of establish a large, coherent society.