7 points dnetesn 2 days ago 1 comments
tkdb 1 minute ago | parent
In 1960, Jane Goodall observed chimps using tools, a trait that humans thought unique to us. We now know well over 100 animal species show evidence of tool use, distributed among mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, arachnids, crustaceans, mollusks and echinoderms.
Ants and bees "domesticate" plants and animals.
Tiny frogs are spider cats! (great meme, amazing symbiosis)
Planthopper nymphs employ interlocking gears built into their exoskeletons to synchronize explosive jumps. Caddisfly larvae use pebbles and the same cementitious effect we use for our buildings to construct protective tubes.
The more we look, the more we find remarkable traits and abilities in the life we share this planet with.
The idea that whales, whose brains near-equal and in some ways exceed our own (depending on how you measure), may use a sort of language is not outlandish at all.