Wild-born orangutan mimics human speech
An orangutan has been found capable of mimicking vocalizations similar to human speech, providing scientists with possible clues into early human communication.
A female orangutan called Tilda at Germany’s Cologne Zoo in the city of the same name has learned to whistle tunes and make sounds comparable to human consonants, researchers said in a study published in the Public Library of Science One journal.
Her clicks and sounds are produced in the same way as humans produce consonants, while her vowel-like grunts are referred to as ‘faux-speech’, scientists said.
The movements require the kind of fine control over lips and tongue that was thought to be restricted to humans.
“This research highlights that studying orangutan calls is very relevant to our understanding of the evolution of the production of human speech,” said Professor Serge Wich, a primatologist at Liverpool John Moores University who was involved in the study.
The rhythms Tilda uses are seven times faster than those heard in typical orangutan calls.
Zookeepers at Cologne Zoo believe Tilda was trained to perform tricks for human entertainment, which may help explain some of her behavior.
They say Tilda’s unusual calls are her way of communicating her need for food.
Tilda was captured in the wilds of Borneo in Indonesia at the age of two in the 1960s and spent nearly 50 years in captivity.
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