Anthropology Practice Test 2025 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

Apes can communicate using language by learning American Sign Language, which is a method that has been effectively used in various studies to bridge the communication gap between humans and non-human primates. This approach allows apes to express thoughts, desires, and needs through learned signs, demonstrating an ability to grasp symbolic communication, which is a critical aspect of human language.

The ability of some apes, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, to learn and use signs provides evidence of their cognitive capacities and their potential for complex communication beyond instinctual gestures or vocalizations alone. Sign language gives them a way to convey messages about immediate and abstract concepts, showcasing a level of linguistic capability that is notable in the animal kingdom.

While other forms of communication, such as vocalization and gestures, may be natural to apes, their training in sign language exemplifies a more sophisticated understanding of language that parallels human communicative practices.