A 20-year-old male chimpanzee named Albert was the first ape to join Facebook, the largest online social network. Soon after Albert joined, three other chimps named Mr. Jones, Sheena, and Britney followed.
Scientists from The University of Northern Oregon have spent the last two years training Albert and his comrades, who all belong to the Pan troglodytes species, to acquire language skills necessary for their online social life.
With the help of specially designed software that recognizes sign language (ASL), and a chimp proof adapted touch screen, these leading scientists recently announced that the four apes can communicate using more than 1000 symbols, adapted to the most popular features of the online social network. They can chat online with their best friends from around the world, write text messages and even upload their favorite profile pictures. Alberts gang has become very popular among Facebook's users.
Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:
We wondering who Albert approves to be his friends and if he contacts underage chimps. Also when Albert will master Twitter.
Although sociologists and anthropologists have used social networks as
empirical research tools, Facebook will now provide a new platform for
biologists to observe the chimpanzees´ social skills, claims Chief
Researcher Dr. John F. Marlowe. Previous studies have revealed that
chimpanzees and humans use the same brain region to communicate
verbally and non-verbally. The neurobiological connection between
chimps and humans was realized after years of observing chimps at the
National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, USA. These results can be
interpreted to show that chimps have a brain designed for language, and
use it to produce symbols that build their communicative repertoire,
claims Dr. Marlowe. Albert is a prodigious exemplar of our closest
genetic relative. This genetic closeness supports comments made by
Professor of Anthropology and Biology, Dr. Robin Dunbar who claims
that, chimps should be considered human due to our biological
proximity. Professor Marlowes new challenge is to train Albert in the
use of more sophisticated social networks like palabea.
http://www.cyberchimps.org/