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cs.umn.edu>In late April I posted the following query: "On behalf of someone not on the net I'm writing to inquire about recent literature (if any) on the question of whether apes can learn language. "My impression is that since the publication of the article by Terrace et al. in Science (ca. 1980, if I remember correctly) a consensus quickly developed to the effect that earlier claims were exaggerated and that the question is widely considered to have been settled in the negative. I'd be interested in knowing to what extent the debate is still alive and, if there's still life in it, what things to recommend to the person who came to me with the question." My earlier impression is clearly wrong, if the number of responses I received is any indication. Among those who obliged me in this regard was Allen Gardner, who clearly deserves pride of place here. He referred me to: Gardner, R.A., Gardner, B.T., & Van Cantfort, T.E. (Eds) (1989). _Teaching sign language to chimpanzees_, Albany: SUNY Press. He further reports: "For credentials, all of the reviews of this book that we know about appeared in highly respected scientific journals and all concluded that the evidence reported is rigorous and plainly refutes the criticisms of Terrace & Co." The listing of reviews follows. Anderson, J. R., _Primate Eye_, 41-42 (October 1990) Boysen, S., _Quarterly Review of Biology_, _65_, 383-384 (1990) Byrne, R.W. _Animal Behaviour_, _40_, 789-790 (1990) Hauser, M., _American Anthropology_, _92_, 1167-1168 (1990) Hunt, K.D., _Anthropological Linguistics_, _32_, 388-389 King, N.E., _American Journal of Physical Anthropology_, _86_222- 224,(1991) Miles, H.L.W., _International Journal of Primatology_, _12_, 1-5 (1991). Here is a listing of other items to which I was referred by respondents. These vary from popular press articles to highly specialized scientific reports. Apologies in advance if I've omitted anything; address gripes (and citations) to me and I'll post addenda as necessary. _Gorilla, Journal of the Gorilla Foundation_, published biannually Carter, Janis, "Freed from keepers and Cages, chimps come of age on Baboon island," _Smithsonian_,June1988:36-49 Cavalieri, Paola and P. Singer, The Great Ape Project. [no further bibliographical info.] Collins, Karen. "Inquiry," _USA Today_, 3/1/85:11A Cowley, Geoffrey, "The Wisdom of Animals," _Newsweek_, 5/23/88:56-59 Crichton, Michael, _Congo_, New York:Ballantine Books, 1980 [!!!FICTION!!! ] Fadiman, Anne, "How a Loquatious Gorilla Named Koko became smitten with kittens," _Life_, July 1985:22-28 Fans the World Over go Ape," _People_, v23. 4/22/85:57-60 Faurie, Vanessa, "Koko and Co," _Illinois Alumni News_, apr.1989:10-11 Frisbie, Michael, "Fine Animal Gorilla," _McCall's_, Jan1986:10-14 Griffiths, Joan, "Gorilla my Dreams," _Omni_, v14, Nov.1991:27 Linden, Eugene, _Apes, Men and Language_, New York: Saturday Evening Press, 1974 Logan, Marcia, "Koko the Talking Gorilla gets a brand new kitty and Primate Fans the World Over go Ape," _People_, v23. 4/22/85:57-60 Monkeys and Apes_, Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,1990 Parker, Sue, and Kathleen Rita Gibson (eds) , _Language and Intelligence in Monkeys and Apes_, Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,1990 Patterson, Francine, "Conversations with a Gorilla," _National Geographic_,v154, no4, Oct 1978:438-465 Patterson, F, Candace Holts and Lisa Saphire, "Cyclic Changes in Hormonal Physical, Behavioral and Linguistic measures in a female lowland gorilla," _American Journal of Primatology (24)_, 1991:181-184 Patterson, F. and Eugene Linden, _The Education of Koko_, New York:Holt,Rinehart and Winston, 1981 Patterson, F. "Fear, Humor, Committment, Sorrow-Apes feel them all," _US News and World REport_, v99, 7/22/85 Patterson, F., "Koko the Articulate Gorilla," _Ms._, Dec1981:42-48 Stone, Judith, "Sex and the single Gorilla," _Discover_, aug1988:78- 81 Premack, David and Ann James Premack, _The mind of an Ape_,New York: WW Norton and Co, 1983 Premack, David. Gavagai: or the Future History of the Animal Language Controversy. MIT Press/Bradford Books. 1986 Premack, D and A.Premack, "Teaching Language to an Ape," _Scientific American_, v227,no4, Oct 1972:92-99 Reynolds, Peter C "The complementation theory of language and tool use." In Kathleen Gibson and Timothy Ingold (eds.), Cognition, Tool Use, and Human Evolution. Cambridge University Press. pp. 407-428. 1993 Reynolds, Peter C. Rv. of Wallman 1992. Man: Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 1993 Rumbaugh, E. Sue Savage. Multi-tasking: the Pan-human rubicon. Seminars in The Neurosciences 3.417-422. 1991 Savage-Rumbaugh, Murphy, Sevcik, Brakke, Williams & Rumbaugh Language comprehension in ape and child. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 58, 1-220. 1993. Spada, Emanuela Cenami. Animal mind-human mind: the continuity of mental experience with or without language. To appear in International Journal of Comparative Psychology. Stokoe, W.C., (1989). Comparative & developmental sign language studies: A review of recent advances. In R.A. Gardner, B.T. Gardner, & T.E. Van Cantfort (Eds.), _Teaching sign language to chimpanzees_. Albany, NY: SUNY Press Stone, Judith, "Sex and the single Gorilla," _Discover_, aug1988:78- 81 Vessels, Jane, "Koko's Kitten," _National Geo._, v167, no1, Jan1985:110-113 Wallman, Joseph. APING LANGUAGE. Cambridge U. Press, 1992. Wilkins, W.E. and J. Wakefield 'Brain evolution and neurolinguistic preconditions'. To appear in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. A number of people also referred me to a NOVA program that aired not long before my query (and which I missed -- I watch very little television). My thanks to everyone who responded; besides Allen Gardner, they are: beingthereMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue