&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Question_book-new.svg){kind=small} | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
| Species | Gorilla |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | Michael March 17, 1973 Cameroon |
| Died | April 19, 2000 (aged 27) California |
| Nation from | Cameroonian |
| Known for | Being first male gorilla to use American sign language |
| Training | Painting and ASL |
| Owner | Francine Patterson |
Michael (March 17, 1973, Cameroon – April 19, 2000) was a male gorilla involved in experiments to teach apes sign language. He is alleged to have had a working vocabulary of over 600 signs in American Sign Language, taught to him by Koko, a female gorilla; Francine Patterson; and other staff of Stanford University. Michael, an orphan, spent most of his life in Woodside, California, where he became known for painting.[citation needed] Both Michael and Koko’s linguistic abilities are widely rejected by specialists, despite popular perception to the contrary.[1][2]
- ^ "Lingua Franca: Koko Is Dead, but the Myth of Her Linguistic Skills Li…". archive.ph. 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Why is language unique to humans? | Royal Society". royalsociety.org.