I'm wondering if Kathy D. or someone else can give me a general idea on
whether / what animals have the capacity to develop sophisticated
language systems and create art.
I know that animals have communication systems, but I am distinguishing
a language system by one that can be understood by other members of the
same species and therefore non-idiosynchratic (which I imagine is
possible) and which develops over the lifespan (don't know if there is a
way of seeing progress in language ability). By art, I mean anything
that seems to be created with an interest in beauty or pleasure, whether
the object is functional or not.
Believe it or not, this *is* related to breastfeeding, although I doubt
I would think of asking the question on another list; people of such
diverse backgrounds contribute to this one! I am trying to identify some
aspects of human development and how they relate to breastfeeding and
mothering.
Jo-Anne Elder-Gomes

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