Keep in mind that this is something in which I have expertise. I am familiar with all the relevant literature and will tell you right now that there is NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT NON-HUMANS CAN BE TAUGHT TO PROCESS HUMAN LANGUAGE.

Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
It would appear that your opinion is very much disputed. There are two distinct camps on this subject. One accepts the principals that animals can communicate through various ways including signs and noise.


Nobody disputes this. All living organisms have their own unique system of communication, varying from quite simple (e.g., silk moth) to extremely complex (e.g.., honey bees).

Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
The other does not think that animals are capable of such things because God designed them that way.


'..... because god designed them that way' is not exactly what you would call a scientific argument.

You completely miss the argument. Animal researchers believe that animals have the capacity to learn how to to process human language. Their goal is to show this through research. THEY HAVE FAILED time and time again to show this.

Linguists, who are the REAL experts on language, almost universally dispute this argument, arguing instead that there is an innate component, namely the Grammar, that is biologically pre-existent in humans. Humans thus come with the mental faculties which will allow them to learn and use human language. There is not a single shred of evidence that shows animals have any type of Grammar in their heads.

Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
Evolution is still being disputed.


Not by reputable scientists, it isn't -- only by people who build creationist museums in Kentucky.

Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
If you believe in evolution, and the facts are pretty unquestionable, then it is only a tiny step to get to animals speaking either vocally or by using signs.


Sorry. I believe in evolution and I reject the idea that animals can learn human language. There is simply no evidence for it. The evidence, in fact, goes the other way. YOU CAN'T LEARN HUMAN LANGUAGE WITHOUT HUMAN GRAMMAR AND ANIMALS DON'T HAVE A GRAMMAR.

Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
Interesting to note that most people who dispute the evidence that animals have intelligence are doing so from a religious dogma POV. Here is a link giving some evidence of what animals can do.

http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/psych26/language.htm


Where did I say that animals have no intelligence? They do. Some of the systems of communication employed by lower life forms are incredibly complex and show that the organisms that use them are highly intelligent. All I am saying is that the kind of language that human beings have is unique to humans because of the uniqueness of the human mind. That doesn't automatically mean that I have a religious perspective on this.

Say God built humans that way or say that they evolved over millions of years. The point is that humans are unique among all living organisms.

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