Okay folks,

Here's one that's puzzling me. Can anyone explain why the only other
species that are capable of human speech outside of humans are members of
the parrot and crow family of birds? The mouth of the bird is NOTHING like
a human mouth.

Yet the bonobo (formerly called pigmy chimpanzee) has a mouth and dental
arrangement most like a human's. The bonobo is also the closest human
relative when comparing genes and blood chemistry.
One would think the bonobo would learn speech before a parrot or raven.
(Sign language doesn't count in this question)

Outside the primate-human family, the housecat has the closest brain and
nervous system to the human. So it would seem, that if a crow or parrot can
master human speech with a BEAK and no teeth, it would seem that a housecat
should be able to accomplish speech as well, even with their mouth shape and
dental arrangement. (Fact may be disputed, but I've been told the reason
why so many med students use cats in their labs is because of nervous system
similarities to humans.)

So can somebody explain why parrots and crows can accomplish what our human
near kin cannot?

Is intelligence a factor?
Do Vocal chords determine speech ability?
Shape of tongue? (Great apes have human looking tongues and can make all
sorts of goofy faces using their tongues....Cats also have very flexible
tongues)

I'm really curious about this one!

Lydia, Laboring her mind on Labor Day Weekend
In Kent, WA
Lydia Gaebe
lgaebe at msn.com

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