http://blog.teledyn.com/node/2540 Comments for "Washoe: 1965 - 2007" en http://blog.teledyn.com/node/2540 <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washoe_%28chimpanzee%29"><img src="http://news.wired.com/photos/D/da468a6a-c390-471d-aaa8-3286b8c38103-small.jpg" class="right"/></a>Our ambassador from the Congo wilderness forest-people we call "the chimps", has held her last transpecies conference. Washoe the Chimp passed on in her sleep in her home last Wednesday</p> <blockquote><p><cite class="blog-source">"Washoe was an emissary, bringing us a message of respect for nature," Dr. Mary Lee Jensvold, assistant director of the nonprofit institute, said Wednesday...<br /> "The entire CWU community and the Ellensburg community are feeling the loss of our friend, Washoe, one of our daughters," said CWU President Jerilyn S. McIntyre.</cite><br /> <i class="blog-source">[ <a href="http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/S/SIGNING_CHIMPANZEE_DIES?SITE=WIRE&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2007-11-01-00-29-45">Wired News</a> ]</i></p></blockquote> <p>Way back in the 1960's, upon hearing of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall">Dr. Jane's</a> observation on termite-fishing, Louis Leakey remarked, "<i>Either we must re-define 'man', re-define 'tool', or accept the Chimpanzees as human.</i>" -- Since that time we've seen Washoe teaching her understudies to sign, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQydsi1sSTU">chimps playing PacMan</a> (and asking for a replay when they know they could do better), we've even seen local regional tool-use habits handed down the generations as a cultural inheritance ... so where <u>do</u> we move the line?</p> http://blog.teledyn.com/node/2540#comments wonderful world Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:47:33 -0500 mrG 2540 at http://blog.teledyn.com