 |
Dr. Rob Shumaker
Scientist
Institute or University
Great Ape Trust of Iowa
|
Great Ape Trust Research Program
Scientists at Great Ape Trust are exploring the abilities of orangutans
to use symbols and syntax to express their thoughts. The orangutans are learning
to use a symbol-based language that is presented on a computer monitor. The monitor
screen has large "buttons" that are big enough for orangutan fingers.
The dictionary
available on the monitor contains about 70 symbols. All symbols are abstract
and have no visual relation to what they represent. There are seven categories
of symbols, each containing ten individual symbols. The categories are: foods,
non-food objects, proper names of people, proper names of orangutans, verbs,
adjectives and arabic numbers.
Each category of symbols has its own specific exterior
shape. For example, a rectangle alone means "food" and a circle alone means "non-food
object." Individually,
the interior components of each symbol are meaningless. It's the arrangement
within the exterior shape that gives each symbol a specific meaning. In addition
to the major categories, there are symbols that mean "send," "clear," "yes/good," and "no/wrong." The
dictionary can be expanded as the orangutans learn more symbols.
In addition to
the language project, additional research focuses on the acquisition, comprehension,
and demonstration of numerical competencies in orangutans (Pongo spp.) and bonobos
(Pan paniscus). Specific cognitive skills that will be investigated include quantity
judgment, labeling of discrete quantities with Arabic numerals, and representation
of the numerical abilities by means of the development of a token economy.
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Robert Shumaker joined Great Ape Trust as a scientist in 2003. Dr. Shumaker is an evolutionary biologist
specializing in great ape cognition.
Formerly, Dr. Shumaker served as the Coordinator
of the Orangutan Language Project (OLP) at the Smithsonian Institution National
Zoological Park. Dr. Shumaker was also one of the designers and authors of the
Think Tank Exhibit at the National Zoological Park.
Dr. Shumaker is the author
of numerous scientific papers and books, including his most recent book Primates
in Question.
Dr. Shumaker serves as advisor to both the Borneo Orangutan Survival
Foundation - Indonesia (BOS) and the Orangutan Conservancy.
Dr. Shumaker is a Fellow of Drake University and also an External
Research Associate at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason
University.
Dr. Shumaker received a Ph.D. in biology from George Mason University.
Professional Organizations
Representative Publications
- Beck,
B., Stoinski, T., Shumaker, R., Ross, S. & Perkins, L. (2005).
Animals in Advertising.
- Communiqué, American Zoological and Aquarium
Association, (May), 47-49.
- Shillito, D. J., Shumaker, R. W., Gallup, G. & Beck,
B. B. (2005). Understanding Visual Barriers: Evidence for Level 1 Perspective
Taking in an Orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus). Animal Behaviour, (69), 679-687.
- Shumaker,
R. W. & Swartz, K. B. (2004). “Mirror Self-Recognition” in Encyclopedia
of Animal Behavior (Bekoff, M. ed.), pp. 308-312, Greenwood Publishing Group
- Shumaker,
R. W. & Beck, B. B. (2003) Primates in Question: The Smithsonian
Answer Book. Smithsonian Institution Press.
- Shumaker, R. W. & Beck,
B. B. (2003) Primates in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book. Smithsonian Institution
Press.
- Shumaker,
R. W. & Swartz, K. (2002) When Traditional Methodologies Fail: Cognitive
Studies of Great Apes
- Shumaker, R. W., Beck, B. B., Palkovich, A.
M., Guagnano, G. A., and Morowitz, H. (2001).
- Spontaneous Use of Magnitude
Discrimination and Ordination by the Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), Journal of Comparative
Psychology, 115(4), 1-7.
|
|
|
|
 |
| Dr. Shumaker is the author of numerous scientific papers
and books, including his most recent book Primates in Question. Order
now from Amazon.com. |
|
