Vegan Talk Forums

Zuban

Don't only humans have the ability to use language and understand abstract concepts?
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The world, we are told, was made especially for man--a presumption not supported by all the facts... Why should man value himself as more than a small part of the one great unit of creation?

BigBecka · Animal defender Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 415

Some scientists have thought that the noises dolphins make may be a language, for many years now. There is also reserach into Prarie Dog language, whale song, and some of the noises other apes make to communicate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_language

Only humans talk about abstract concepts, in a language other humans understand.

Did you ever read any Terry Pratchett books? My favourite character is You B*stard, a camel who happens to be the greatest mathematician in the world. There isn't much else to do in a desert...

Seriously, if humans started thinking abstract concepts due having more time (the discovery of fire, the advent of farming...) perhaps other animals can or have develop this also. For example, those species of chimps living in communities, and household/farmed animals. I've heard pig farmers say that you occasionally get very pensive, intelligent pigs...