HUMAN-LIKE COMMUNICATION: Zoologists discovered that an orangutan named Bonnie can whistle despite no training or intentional exposure to the activity. Orangutans have been observed to mimic human behavior before, but Bonnie whistles without being taught. Zoologists believe that she picked up the talent by imitating zookeepers who maintain the grounds. Whistling sounds like an odd behavior for an orangutan to pick up, but it isn't the only case of an animal mimicking or learning a human behavior. Think of parrots that are able to speak in human language, or chimpanzees able to use sign language. A recent study announced that gorillas and humans use similar body language to communicate. Among other surprising abilities, crows have been seen using tools and some scientists think fish can count.
HOW THE HUMAN BRAIN PROCESSES LANGUAGE: What parts of the brain control language? There are two primary sections of the brain that relate to language and communication, and if either section becomes damaged, the person will be unable to speak properly. The left frontal cortex of the brain is known as "Broca's Area," after a 19th century physician named Paul Broca. The second section is called "Wernicke's Area," after Broca's contemporary, Karl Wernicke. It is located further back and lower in the brain than Broca's Area, at the tail end of the temporal lobe. These two sections are connected by bundles of nerve fibers. When these connections are damaged, the person can understand language but their speech does not make sense and they cannot repeat words. In most people, both Broca's area and Wernicke's area are found only in the left side of the brain. Scientists have studied how electrical stimulation of these areas of the brain can block language. They have also injected fast-acting anesthetics into the right or left carotid artery. The right artery supplies the right side of the brain, while the left artery supplies the left side. Injecting an anesthetic into either will put that side of the brain to sleep. They found that when the left hemisphere of the brain was asleep, patients were unable to speak when asked questions. But they would be able to answer questions if the right side of the brain was asleep. But even though the left side of the brain is dominant when it comes to language, imaging studies of blood flow in the brain have shown that people with damage on the right side have trouble communicating the emotions involved with language. This disorder is called "aprosodia."