It was june 21, 1966. Allen and beatrix (“trixie”) gardner welcomed a chimpanzee named kathy to reno, nevada. Verkkowashoe became famous in the late 1960s for being the first nonhuman to use a human language, namely, american sign language (asl). Born in the wild. Verkkoat their home in reno, nevada, ra gardner and gardner were already using asl with washoe, a common chimpanzee who arrived for study at 10. Verkkowashoe is said to have taught loulis signs, representing the first time a primate learned sign language from another chimp instead of a human researcher.
