Comparison of Human Language and Animal Communication

Similarity:  Both are composed of SIGNS (forms with meaning)

Six Key Differences:

1. Animal: The signs of animal systems are inborn.

    Human:  The capacity to be creative with signs is inborn,

            but the signs (words) themselves are acquired culturally.

2. Animal: Communication is set responses to stimuli (indexes).

    Human: Not limited to use as an index.     

3. Animal: Each sign has one and only one function; each meaning can be expressed only in one way

    Human: Signs often have multiple functions; one meaning can be expresses in many ways

4. Animal: Not naturally used in novel way

    Human: Creative, can be adapted to new situations

5. Animal: Closed inventory of signs; only a set number of different messages can be sent

    Human: Open ended.  Grammar (rules of syntax) allows a virtually unlimited number of messages to be constructed

6. Animal: Change extremely slowly, with the speed of genetic   evolution.

    Human: Change rapidly as a cultural phenomenon.