# Planet of the Apes inspired primate questions.  Some movie details, no spoilers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-of-the-apes-inspired-primate-questions-some-movie-details-no-spoilers/592314>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-of-the-apes-inspired-primate-questions-some-movie-details-no-spoilers/592314 "2011-08-11T06:03:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-of-the-apes-inspired-primate-questions-some-movie-details-no-spoilers/592314/1 "2011-08-11T06:03:25Z")

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Can primates that know sign language talk to each other, or just to humans? I think I would be completely freaked out by watching even an elementary sign language conversation between two primates.

From how high can a chimp jump? I think I saw one jump from the 5th story in one scene. That seems pretty far for something that can weigh as much as I do.

Can a chimp climb a redwood like that? When I see chimps in nature films they have branches to grab onto. It seems like without claws, and with a trunk too thick to get his arms around, a chimp wouldn’t be able to climb a redwood.

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-of-the-apes-inspired-primate-questions-some-movie-details-no-spoilers/592314/2 "2011-08-11T06:47:36Z")

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> [@I\_Know\_Nothing](#):
>
> Can primates that know sign language talk to each other, or just to humans?

I assume you mean non-human primates.

There is no evidence that any non-human primate knows or could ever know sign language. [There is no evidence that non-human primates can use signs to communicate at any higher level than a dog bringing you its leash when it wants to go for a walk](http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-10-31/).

In short, non-human primates can not talk at all in any way whatsoever. They can not talk to humans. They can not talk to each other. They can not do it on a train, they can not do it in a plane. [Koko was a massive hoax.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2443/are-gorillas-using-sign-language-really-communicating-with-humans)

> [@](#):
>
> I think I would be completely freaked out by watching even an elementary sign language conversation between two primates.

I would like to see sign language conversation involving any non-human primate and anything at all: human, ape or machine. Apes simply do not have language skills, and as such can not hold conversations.

> [@](#):
>
> From how high can a chimp jump? I think I saw one jump from the 5th story in one scene. That seems pretty far for something that can weigh as much as I do.

It depends what it landed on. Humans can jump from similar heights onto cardboard cartons or dense vegetation. Onto solid surface, no way; it would break its legs.