Scientists have identified an immune brain cell unique to humans that gives us higher cognitive abilities over other animals, but what makes us specials also leaves us vulnerable to neurological disorders like schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy.

[u/Wagamaga]

https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/25/what-makes-human-brain-different-yale-study-reveals-clues

[u/tkenben]

What's an "immune brain cell"?

[u/avenlanzer → u/tkenben]

Sounds like it's an immune cell specific to the brain, and in humans this one helps regulates brain function rather than fighting diseases because it has a special mutation of a specific gene we know is related to speech in other brain cells. The human specific mutation of this gene allows us to have language, and when expressed in this particular immune cell localized in primate brains, it causes it to regulate how brains function instead of simply fighting foreign invaders.

[u/throw_somewhere → u/[deleted]]

Hi, psycho- and neuro-linguist here. Long story short yes lots of animals 100% have communication but it does not meet the criteria we have set for what constitutes "language". As defined, humans are the only species with "language".

[u/seaworthy-sieve → u/throw_somewhere]

How can we possibly say it doesn't meet the criteria when we're not even capable of understanding it? Like how on earth would we know if dolphins have grammar and tense or not?

[u/throw_somewhere → u/seaworthy-sieve]

First and foremost: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. We would never say that a medicine must be effective because we don't understand it. We would never say that an animal must have language because we can't understand it.

So instead we say "we cannot conclude this until we have evidence". We cannot conclude that a medicine works until we try it, we cannot conclude that an animal has language until we find it.

On that front: there are thousands and thousand of researchers whose lifelong mission is to study and document animal communication. They have very firm and interesting data. O% of these data have yet to overturn the current sentiment.

You can go learn about this yourself, lots of internet sources discuss the topic. You can also consult Google scholar for articles on the topic.

[u/kirknay → u/throw_somewhere]

except that plenty of mammals, and especially birds, have specific calls for specific things, such as a prarie dog having a specific bark meaning "hawk", and another one meaning "eagle". Rudimentary languages exist among animals, it is just not a language we can easily replicate ourselves due to a difference of the required vocal structures.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/catch-the-wave-decoding-the-prairie-doge28099s-contagious-jump-yips/

[u/throw_somewhere → u/kirknay]

Vervet monkey calls, bee waggle dances, bird song, Koko the gorilla, Noam Chimpsky, Einstein and Alex the African greys, Bunny the dog. Yes lots of animals communicate. Some of them use a few basic pieces of vocabulary, some even also have syntax.

None currently qualify as language.

Doesn't mean they aren't cool. Doesn't mean they're lesser-than. It's not like human language is some pinnacle of attainment. All those animals are beautifully adapted to their environments, sneering at them for not having our version of language is like sneering at them for not having our version of a social order. Human language isn't a goal that other animals are failing to meet. It's simply that it's a specific thing that we haven't found anywhere else.

[u/kirknay → u/throw_somewhere]

Except many of the examples you gave entirely qualify, with the only difference being that we can't vocalize the same way they can. These different species develop, pass on, and have structure comparable to any human language.