When I read this question, the first thought that entered my mind was a special I had watched concerning the western lowland gorilla Koko and her kitten "Smoky". Koko has been taught over 1000 words of sign language (The Gorilla Foundation 2015, para.3). There is also the example of Kanzi, the bonobo who learned a keyboard symbolic communication language after watching his mother being taught (Park 2015, p.282). My first instinct was to throw my support in with those who claim that these non-human primates prove that they possess true language skills. However, I paused and considered the differences between human and non-human primate communication and what constitutes true language versus mere communication.
It is clear and evident that non-human
It is clear and evident that non-human