• shalafi@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Complex limb? Let me see an elephant tie a granny knot. Maybe with training? OK. Do a square knot.

    Complex communication? Elephants have communication skills on par with a 3-4 year old human. An intensely trained dog might top 200 words. My vocabulary is an easy 50,000 words. Yours is too.

    Binocular vision is a must, that’s a given. Damn near every animal on the planet has it, even some worms.

    • Sludgehammer@lemmy.world
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      6 hours ago

      Complex limb? Let me see an elephant tie a granny knot. Maybe with training? OK. Do a square knot.

      Complex communication? Elephants have communication skills on par with a 3-4 year old human. An intensely trained dog might top 200 words. My vocabulary is an easy 50,000 words. Yours is too.

      Now apply both of these challenges to a chimpanzee. I doubt one could tie a knot very well. Washoe the chimp we taught sign language had a vocabulary of only 450. Yet, I have I on good authority that a very close relative of chimpanzees have developed complex thought, complex language and advanced tool use and creation.