Give it up, humans: animals are just like us

For as long as I can recall, there has been steady erosion of the notion that humans are different from other animals. No sooner did we point out that we are special because we use tools than an ape used a straw to suck up termites and a bird used a cactus spine to snare a grub worm. But we are the only animals that have language. Gorillas have been signing “I don’t think so” to that idea for decades now. Well, there’s math! African gray parrots. We construct the material conditions of our existence! Ants, honey bees, mound termites. Art! Hong the elephant who paints. Hey, but we’ve got rhythm! Snowball the dancing cockatoo.
With our uniqueness under siege from the animal kingdom and its traitorous scientist allies, we have retreated to the castle keep of morality. We can tell right from wrong, dammit. When we massacre, pillage, rape (habits we share with the chimpanzee), we know it’s wrong!
But Snowball is dancing to “Another One Bites the Dust” as the castle keep proves to be our Alamo:
Prof Marc Bekoff, an ecologist at University of Colorado, Boulder, believes that morals are “hard-wired” into the brains of all mammals and provide the “social glue” that allow often aggressive and competitive animals to live together in groups.
He has compiled evidence from around the world that shows how different species of animals appear to have an innate sense of fairness, display empathy and help other animals that are in distress.
His conclusions will provide ammunition for animal welfare groups pushing to have animals treated more humanely, but some experts are sceptical about the extent to which animals can experience complex emotions and social responsibility.
Prof Bekoff, who presents his case in a new book Wild Justice, said: “The belief that humans have morality and animals don’t is a long-standing assumption, but there is a growing amount of evidence that is showing us that this simply cannot be the case.
via Animals can tell right from wrong – Telegraph.
So animals have empathy. Had this story run a few days earlier, President Obama would have had many more species from which to choose a Supreme Court nominee. But don’t expect homo sapiens to relinquish its special place in its own mythology any time soon. We’re still the only species that… well, can you think of something?