How come parrots and humans can talk but other animals can?

Question

at the end the spelling is cant

Answer 1

1. Parrots are adept at mimicking speech, but they can't be said  to use language. They memorize the phrases they hear, but they can't create novel utterances based on the words they, well, "parrot".

2. Many animals communicate, but none of them can be said to have language. There are several characteristics which make human communication unique:

- The ability to talk about things that are distant in time and space. Animal communication, on the other hand, is specific to time and situation. A bird may be able to make a wide plethora of calls, but he only uses them in certain, immediate situations.

- The use of arbitrary symbols. There is nothing about the word "dog" that says it has to mean dog; it's a symbol. Even most onomatopoeic words are somewhat arbitrary. For example, where an English-speaking person would say "ouch!" for pain, a Japanese speaker says "itta!", and a Spanish speaker says "ay!" By comparison, a chimpanzee from any community vocalizes pain in exactly the same way.

- Chimpanzee's and gorilla's use of sign language was mentioned. While it certainly shows the intelligence of our closest relatives, their use of words differs from our own in a key way: they have no understanding of syntax, or the way words are ordered together. When signing, they use the elements of whatever they want to say in any order. By comparison, a human child learns the syntax of his or her language by the age of about 2. This may seem minor, but linguists have demonstrated that syntax is vital for complex human communication. In addition, chimpanzees and gorillas have never been able to learn more than a few hundred words at best; a human toddler learns at least 10 new words every day, and knows several thousand by the time he or she reaches kindergarten.

- Human language is recursive, ie, a sentence can theoretically be infinite (though, in practice, we avoid going on forever to avoid being seen as windbags). Even more importantly, we use a limited amount of sounds and combine them to express a much larger number of concepts. A chimpanzee has about 25 calls, but each one only expresses one thing. On the other hand, the Hawaiian language has 13 sounds (phonemes), but can express infinitely more things by combining those sounds into larger units. As far as we know, no other system of communication in the world does this.

As for why humans are the only species that has language, we're not really sure. However, from studying child language acquisition, we can be reasonably sure it's genetic, probably from a combination of different genes that entered the gene pool sometime in the past 200,000 years or so.

Answer 2

parrots can´t talk they can imitate sounds.

Answer 3

Because humans have really bad hearing and can't hear the very high sounds of some creatures like the humming bird or the low rumblings of the elephant and others. We are in a sense handicapped by our lack of hearing, but I'll bet your dog can hear you coming home from a mile away. It is interesting that we are so deprived yet believe we know more than the other creatures.

Answer 4

Parrots mimic human speech therefore it's not language in the same way that we speak it. Though they may make certain connections with objects/people and names I don't believe it goes too much further.

Humans have by far the most advanced language but animals have languages too. Dolphins communicate by using high-pitched whistles, they are believed to be as intelligent as monkeys if not more so. Cats 'meow' Dogs 'bark' these creatures have a range of different sounds for a range of meanings, the meanings are however likely to be fairly basic: probably 'Stay away from my territory!'

Answer 5

Typically my answers are long and informative, but I'm in a rush to head out the door and just want to clear up a few misconceptions about primate language.  First of all Bonobos are the champions of language after humans.  This can be seen particularly by the co-rearing study between Panzi (Chimpanzee) and Panbanisha (Bonobo).  Bonobos in particular show a distinct use of syntax as has been shown again and again by their understanding and explaining models of their environment.  By hiding miniaturized replica items in the model and having them describe where these items are before they are allowed to get them they will clearly state that "the red ball is in the bottom drawer in the desk of Dr. whoever" not to be confused with "the red desk is in the Dr. whoever's bottom in the ball of drawer" as it may come out if syntax was not present.  A visiting scientist also reported on one occasion that upon arriving at Yerkes for the first time this young Bonobo clearly sat them down and then began communicating to this scientist using her language board all about how her sibling had had a disagreement with her mother that morning and that they were still angry at each other.  The visiting scientist, amazed at such retention of details and emotion asked the principal scientist if this Bonobo was indeed retelling the past or was making up stories, as that would be just as fantastic.  As it turned out the mother and sibling had been quarrelling just that morning and this Bonobo was apparently "getting this off her chest".  It is also observed that while Bonobos in the wild do not group together and gossip, that this is not the case of language enabled bonobos who seem to acquire some heir of superiority over their language ignorant companions and will "gossip" with their language boards in plain site of other "ignorant" chimpanzees/bonobos.  So this notion that one respondent brought up of these magnificent animals not using this culturally developed language outside of their exposure with human scientists is simply incorrect.  The most famous chimpanzee, Kanzi, has been witnessed teaching young chimpanzees sign language and it is my hunch, that like it is with humans, the chimpanzee/bonobo brain goes through a developmental stage crucial to the development of their language abilities and as communication is taught culturally to young chimpanzees and bonobos by the previous generation that primate sign language communication may take another jump forward just as American Sign Language (ASL) in humans took a jump forward itself when communities of humans were built around the use of ASL and suddenly ASL was born as a language and was no longer just a crutch.  This same phenomena is seen time and time again in the variety of pigeon languages around the world between that language's syntax and grammar between the time when it is first adapted by adults to when it is applied through the brain of a group of children growing up while using it.  So, depending on how much language is "hardwired" into the cognitive development of chimpanzees and bonobos their use of sign language could also develop into a much richer "primate sign language" given if it is allowed to become a part of their culture and be taught by the whole troop from a young age, and replace the large variety of pre-existing communication that is already culturally present.  Anyways, a lot of your answers seem to be completely ignorant of the abilities that have already been demonstrated by bonobos and chimpanzees, especially in their use of language boards and sign language, and they are also ignorant that this research is still in its infancy.  Currently the adoption of ASL by primates is equivalent to teaching ASL as a second language, which will never integrate as well as their culturally taught language.  This comes out to be equivalent to the language ability of young human child.  If a language is allowed to be taught culturally however, a much different ability will be attained.  If Bonobos were taught ASL as their primary language, rather then as a "second" language... well lets just say that many humans will be utterly amazed at the progress that this primate species will exhibit if they live up to the potential that they have displayed.  Including syntax, grammar and the ability to apply language creatively to their environments, in the present and into the future.

Answer 6

1) Parrots can answer new questions based upon words they have already been taught; they don't seem to generate and communicate new thoughts.  "Alex", a gray parrot, is the celebrity in this arena.

2) Many other animals can communicate emotions and warning, etc., but not the specific information humans can.  Often, however, animals can gather more information through their senses than humans can.  I'm tempted to think that language was an adaptation.  We don't see, hear, or smell as well as many other animals.  

3) Gorillas and chimpanzees have been taught American Sign and invented languages made up of symbols.  They can communicate with humans and each other.  They cannot speak human language because their palate does not allow them to form consonants.  Vowels and consonants are both required for intelligible language.

Great apes are able to express emotions and thoughts in human terms (at the level of a kindergartner).   Interestingly though, they don't sit around and chat like humans do, so there must be something about the need to use language that is hard-wired in humans.  "Coco", the gorilla, is the most well-known subject, but there are others.

Answer 7

Among the "other animals" that can talk are: crows, ravens, mina birds, cockatiels, and parakeets,

Answer 8

All creatures talk, it is in their own language that they can communicate in, perhaps they ask among themselves 'why cant humans talk?

Answer 9

interesting Q!

think you mean ,other animals cant?

Answer 10

all advanced animals talk in thier own way. parrots cant really talk they just mimick w/o any real understanding.

Answer 11

I don't know the answer to your question, by the way falsely stating that only parrots and humans can talk. Please verify your data (that is easily searchable) before asking.

Answer 12

It is the mice you have to watch!

Answer 13

Everyone else gives good answers about the relationship between human and parrot speech.  Also good ideas about dolphins, whales, great apes and sign language and even Bonobos.  I did not see anyone mention Orangutans.  Orangutans are known not only to communicate vocally but to have dialects.  

The issue is that we humans like to find traits that are shared by all humans and by no other species.  The more we learn the more we find this to not be true or we have to craft our definitions so as to exclude other groups.  It was thought in the past that tool use set us apart (Chimps) then that agriculture (leaf-cutter ants) now language (examples above).  The more we find ut the more we realize we are not so separate in the grand scheme of things.  There are few if any traits that are not shared by other members of the animal kingdom.

Answer 14

Parrots can't talk: they can make noises that mimic only. And, only a few words that sound like words.

Answer 15

Because humans and birds are the only creatures that can go directly from one pitch ( or note) to another without sliding between them. This makes what we recognize as human speech, possible.

Answer 16

DNA

Answer 17

parrots cant talk, they only mimic.  Human are the only species that can form words, but all animals can communicate.  Although, we used to could talk to the animals, until we sinned and they became affraid of us.  read your Bible

Answer 18

Parrots imitate human speech. Who said other animals cannot talk? They can! How? Ask Doctor Dolittle :) Every living being "talks" in their own mean.

Answer 19

All animals including parrots are telepaths and don't need the speech facility.

Answer 20

cats can talk ask one to open a can of it`s favourite food.they always answer,usually they say   me  ow.lol

Answer 21

Others can, just in different ways.  Dolphins can communicate across distances to other tanks.  Chimps and gorillas can use sign language, effectively. The only difference is the way the vocal chords are arranged, especially in humans.  Parrots only imitate sounds; they don't "talk" original sentences,as can dolphins , chimps, & gorillas.

Answer 22

They do talk and communicate amongst themselves in their own way.

They may lack the vocal cords and biological construction to make sounds that we would consider to be human like speach.

Answer 23

Parrots cannot talk, they MIMIC