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there's probably a lot of examples of knowledge in animals that is passed from generation to generation, like say the knowledge of how to crack open nuts with rocks

we definitely have something most animals don't, but that something may be more of a degree thing than a kind thing



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_culture gives a, IMO, decent overview but misses the famous example of the tit and the milk bottle: http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/resources/view_product.do?produc...


Very much agreed.


> we definitely have something most animals don't

"Religion and control of fire" seem to be the big things that humans have and no non-human animal has. "Language with recursive grammar" is a possible differentiator, but that's currently up for debate.


I would amend that list and add conscience and the ability to question what is moral or not. Animals in some cases may have limited capabilities, but other animals, such as cats and their sadistic behaviors, I would question.


Somebody else posted this in the same thread: http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_sapolsky_the_uniqueness_of_h.... It overviews sharp distinctions between the behaviours of animals and humans.


that reminds me of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KSryJXDpZo

in the full talk, the speaker goes on to mention that some monkeys who were receiving the good reward would refuse to accept it until their counterpart was also given the good reward




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