re: #389 ryannon

Only a handful of animals are able to pass the self-awareness test as defined by recognizing that their image in a mirror is just that - their own image, and not a separate animal. Surprisingly enough, pigeons are in this elite category.

(start pigeon jokes in 5, 4, 3, 2…)

I read a really interesting article some months ago about how humans and domestic dogs are the only two species that can understand pointing as meaning ‘look, over there’. Chimps can’t. Wolves can’t. This is apparently a special ability shared (perhaps developed together) only by our two species (and by some foxes in Russia that were specially bred to do it as part of an experiment.)