ABSTRACT
Recently, van Lawick-Goodall has examined some potential precursors of behavioral characteristics that have been considered unique to man. Along with the behavioral evidence that chimpanzee behavior is much closer to human behavior than previously thought, there is biochemical evidence which demonstrates extreme similarities in the blood protein, amino acids, and blood immunology of the two species. Some linguists have accomplished a similar feat in regard to language. The chapter examines the role of the visual and auditory modes in language behavior in chimpanzees. It points out that chimpanzees certainly seem to have the cognitive ability for language but that they have not yet demonstrated the plasticity in vocal production necessary for speech. The chapter demonstrates that an essential characteristic of language behavior, if not the essential characteristic of language itself, could be mastered by a chimpanzee under test conditions.
