Thanks for that. Now I have no question.
I think the most interesting part of the Baboon thing is that (at least the one they showed) it was able to somehow figure out the rules of language to a small degree. Understanding that "deer" can be a word, but that "izzrtt" cannot is an accomplishment in its own right. We talk a lot around here about intuiting phonics, and obviously this DOES happen with humans (some better at it than others) - and I would argue that in some degree, the baboon is illustrating that it can understand the relationship between consonants and vowels.
That's pretty huge for a species that lacks the ability to articulate language....
but then the dog thing just shows me that a part of language comprehension (and articulation if you include sign language with gorillas) is available to less developed mammalian brains. We know babies can learn sign language. We know dogs can learn word association, and this dog even learned written word association, and baboons can decipher consonant and vowel relationship... I see no reason at all why a child a year or younger (and certainly within the first two years) cannot learn this same stuff.... I think the experts aren't so adept, LOL. But hey, we already knew that, didn't we?
I wonder what would happen if you took the baboon and showed him YBCR??? Ha ha ha... yeah, or LR.
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