Loulis
Encyclopedia
Loulis is a chimpanzee
who has learned to communicate in American Sign Language.
Loulis was named for two caregivers (Louise and Lisa) at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was born. After ten months at Yerkes, Loulis was transferred to Oklahoma with Roger Fouts
and Washoe
, his adoptive mother. In 1980, the family moved to Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. By 1993, the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
(CHCI) was built for the family to reside. Loulis's biological mother remained at Yerkes and was used for medical research.
. The chimpanzees regularly use the hand signals to communicate with each other and humans. Loulis is the only chimpanzee in the family who was not cross-fostered (he wasn't raised by humans but rather Washoe and the other chimpanzees).
After eight days with Washoe, Loulis learned his first sign. For the first five years of his life, Loulis's human handlers only used seven signs around him (the signs used were who, which, want, where, name, that, and sign). Loulis was able to acquire the use of ASL from Washoe.
The details of this research can be found in "Teaching Sign Language to Chimpanzees" edited by Allen and Beatrix Gardner.
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
who has learned to communicate in American Sign Language.
Loulis was named for two caregivers (Louise and Lisa) at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was born. After ten months at Yerkes, Loulis was transferred to Oklahoma with Roger Fouts
Roger Fouts
Roger S. Fouts is an American primate researcher. He is co-director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute in Washington, and a professor of psychology at the Central Washington University...
and Washoe
Washoe (chimpanzee)
Washoe was a chimpanzee who was the first non-human to learn to communicate using American Sign Language, as part of a research experiment on animal language acquisition....
, his adoptive mother. In 1980, the family moved to Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. By 1993, the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute is located on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. CHCI is a sanctuary for three chimpanzees who have learned to communicate with humans and each other using American Sign Language. CHCI's co-directors are Roger...
(CHCI) was built for the family to reside. Loulis's biological mother remained at Yerkes and was used for medical research.
Language abilities
Washoe and 3 other chimpanzees (Tatu, Dar, and Moja) were raised as deaf human children and acquired American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
. The chimpanzees regularly use the hand signals to communicate with each other and humans. Loulis is the only chimpanzee in the family who was not cross-fostered (he wasn't raised by humans but rather Washoe and the other chimpanzees).
After eight days with Washoe, Loulis learned his first sign. For the first five years of his life, Loulis's human handlers only used seven signs around him (the signs used were who, which, want, where, name, that, and sign). Loulis was able to acquire the use of ASL from Washoe.
The details of this research can be found in "Teaching Sign Language to Chimpanzees" edited by Allen and Beatrix Gardner.