Is it true that Koko the gorilla from the San Diego zoo?
Q. knows the difference between peaches, apricots and nectarines? @KRS - is that so? I know it was difficult for me to tell that once a few months back.
Asked by RO35 - Thu Jan 4 21:53:25 2007 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. He also knows the difference between human females and males... ^^^omg ur so cool
Answered by KRS - Thu Jan 4 21:57:58 2007

has koko the gorilla demonstrated the ability for abstract thought?
Q. and how??? do you know any good examples
Asked by Mona M - Fri Feb 20 09:59:47 2009 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Despite Koko being popularly well known, there isn't that much research about her in scientific literature. A lot of what is claimed is anecdotal, so its hard to say either way. Some say that she has merely been conditioned to perform certain signs in certain contexts (as she is rewarded when she does), but has no abstract representation of what shes signing. It has argued that she is able to construct novel phrases for things she doesn't know the sign for though, which may indicate some level of abstract representation (i.e. the sign for a given term (e.g. food) is not simply conditioned to a particular stimulus (e.g. showing her food/being hungry). Of course, these things would be very difficult to test in a lab, I wouldn't expect… [cont.]
Answered by flemon99 - Fri Feb 20 10:35:26 2009

Atheists: Tough Question?
Q. If some mentally disabled people are less intelligent than Koko the Gorilla, do you consider Koko to be 'more human' than they are? The underlying consideration here is whether or not atheists seen logical perception or homo sapien genetics as the criteria for whom they respect and whom they don't.
Asked by Convictionist - Wed Apr 25 17:01:03 2007 - - 21 Answers - 1 Comments

A. Having a mental disability does not make one less human, just as having an unusually high intelligence does not make a gorilla human, but I think I get your point. Which one is deserving of greater respect? That's a very fair and difficult question. I would answer that both are deserving of dignity and respect, but I have to agree with J.P. If I could only save one from a burning building, I would have to choose Koko, as Koko has the greater potential to contribute to our understanding of humanity and our body of knowledge about the world. By the way, it's Homo sapiens, never homo sapien. The "s" does not indicate plurality in this case.
Answered by Paladin - Wed Apr 25 17:07:41 2007