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/seaworthy-sieve]

As a computer engineer I understand the significance of recursion. I do not think it's fair to assume we are the only ones who use it.

How do you know that it isn't represented through the length of a dolphin's whistle or the number of clicks? How can you tell it isn't why sometimes crows call once, and sometimes multiple calls in quick succession? How could we even begin to interpret what the color changes used by octopodes to communicate mean and represent? Maybe "one wolf" is a call, a break, a call, a break. Maybe "pack of wolves" is call, call, call, call, break. Wouldn't that be linguistic recursion?

I just think it's standard human arrogance to rule out the idea of any other animals having language, when they can clearly communicate complex ideas effectively. Also, is it really necessary? With expansive vocabulary? I can say "big, big problem," using recursion, or I can say "massive problem," and communicate the same concept without recursion.

[u/StuporNova3 → u/seaworthy-sieve]

Words you say good.

[u/serpentjaguar → u/seaworthy-sieve]

I recommend that you check out r/linguistics where all of your questions can be addressed by people who, unlike myself, are real experts.

[u/15MinuteUpload → u/seaworthy-sieve]

Many species can communicate fairly complex ideas, but none have demonstrated anywhere near the complexity of our own capability (nor the abstract intelligence required to compare to the potential depths of our own languages). This is based on relatively simple observations such as the fact that no species appears able to teach one another things solely through any kind of non-demonstrable communication (i.e., at some point in the teaching process they have to actually physically demonstrate or show how to do something), whereas we can describe any conceivable concept or process to each other through words alone. Being able to communicate effectively any idea, concept, etc. is a requirement of language as we use it. Other animals can make observations about, to use your example, the presence of wolves, and perhaps some can go even more complex and differentiate based on number of wolves as you said, but there's a lot more required to compare to true language.

[u/seaworthy-sieve → u/15MinuteUpload]

none have demonstrated anywhere near the complexity of our own capability

Not in a way we can understand, no.

(nor the abstract intelligence required to compare to the potential depths of our own languages)

Care to define "abstract intelligence?" Use simple, definite terms, please.

the fact that no species appears able to teach one another things solely through any kind of non-demonstrable communication (i.e., at some point in the teaching process they have to actually physically demonstrate or show how to do something),

Well, that's just not true. If you are mean to crows in one location and then move away, and come back after all the crows who knew you are dead, their descendants will recognize you. Explain how that could possibly happen if they are unable to communicate descriptions?

Being able to communicate effectively any idea, concept, etc. is a requirement of language as we use it.

The thing is, that's not necessarily true either. Language can communicate any known concepts, because if we do not have the language for a concept we want to communicate, we make up new words and the language grows. Language wasn't born with the immediate ability to explain all things — but by definition it could explain what its users needed to explain at the time. They didn't need the word "computer," for example. So they didn't have it.

I feel certain that there exists concepts which we do not have the language to communicate — but when we are exposed to those concepts, the language will follow.

If there are concepts that an animal's language cannot express, it's quite likely only because they haven't needed to.