Gorillas and humans use similar body language to communicate, reports the U.K. Daily Mail. Researchers at the University of Sussex studied a family of gorillas in a British animal park.
Psychologist Dr Gillian Sebestyen said: “We shared 23 million years of evolution with great apes and then diverged approximately six million years ago. Gorillas have highly complex forms of non-verbal communication. I think we are looking back at what sort of communications skills we may have once had.”
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She told Science Daily: “Apes, like humans, use a range of non-verbal communicative social skills such as facial expression, eye gaze and manual gestures, and tactile signals, such as grooming and huddling, which are used for social cohesion.”
The Daily Mail article is rather vague. I’d like to know more information about the types of body language that are similar. I’ll have to do more digging online…
hi, i’m such a big fan of your blog & animals of course. last week i got this at my email at work, i’m always moved even by a tiny glance in the eyes of all creatures, but this moved me in such a powerful way, absolutly we have a lot to learn from them…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf-HaF7ju5A
the Orangutans imprisoned at the Phoenix,Az. zoo relay the strongest most politically correct statement for human comprehension Ive ever witnessed.None of the adults will allow or will do themselves,the young(ranging from baby and up)to face the area which people can view them.So their backs are always turned to the public.This is a full time job for the adults as there are many young with enormous energy.The young are not allowed to do anything where their eyes or body are directed toward the onlookers.They climb their trees on one side only.Apparently our anti -social behavior is also similar.Is the assumption that if were ignored long enough we will vanish,or that they will be enabled to ?I have not gone back for years(5 or 6 at least )due to how disturbing it was.
Answer: As a rule, the complete question involves concern about animals, especially pets, being in heaven and how intelligent they are.
The original creation. When we visit the original creation, we discover a number of truths. One apparent truth is the uniqueness of man compared to the lower animal creation. Only to man was it said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….” (Gen. 1: 26). Animals are next mentioned in the verse, but from the standpoint of their subservience to man.
The fate of man and animals. The wise man had much to say regarding man, his birth, life, and destiny. He wrote, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Eccl. 12: 7). Earlier, he wrote regarding man and the beast: “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” (Eccl. 3: 21.) This question is clearly answered in the above noted chapter twelve, verse seven.
Animals have a soul in the sense that they possess life. A common Hebrew word translated life (soul) is nephesh. Nephesh is used for the life or breath of both animals and man (Gen. 1: 20, 30; 19: 17). Life is that state that is the opposite of death. It is a state of animation, breathing, and awareness. Men and animals alike possess a soul in the sense of breath (nephesh). However, in the sense of possessing a part or element that lives forever, as man possesses, animals do not possess an eternal spirit (cp. Matt. 25: 46). The animal simply and totally returns to the dust, the spirit of man continues to exist (Eccl. 3: 21, cp. 12: 7).
The fact that animals do not possess an eternal soul in the sense that man does, does not de-emphasize their value as companions to man. Pets can and do become an important part in the lives of millions. Also, in man’s charge over the animal kingdom, it behooves man to protect and not abuse the animals (Gen. 1: 26-28). And if they don’t have a soul they dont have intteligence also.