Humans communicate are able to communicate in a various amount of ways: through language, signs and symbols. All of these system work with one another and allow us to perceive the world the way we do.
However, we also know that many other animals of this wonderful planet communicate too. Yet, to my knowledge anyway, no other animal uses all of our communication systems the way we do- usually they are limited to one certain method.
Take a look at one of our possible evolutionary ancestors: the gorilla. Unbeknownst to many, the gorilla is capable of truly extraordinary communication through signs. They use it in their own habitat with one another and even are capable of inter-species conversation!
Exhibit A: Koko the Gorilla. I learned about Koko in my Cultural Anthropology class during my Freshmen year in Shippensburg University. Koko is a gorilla who was raised by humans was taught sign language- our sign language. As Koko began to develop, she began to develop just as we would: her vocabulary increased, she began to understand complex ideas, and began to express herself freely. Koko was given a kitten as a pet one day and fell in love with it instantly. She could tell her owner about her happiness through sign language. Upon the cat's death, she was even able to tell about her sadness and even displayed different behavior from her emotions for a while after. Not too long after, she was given another cat and she fell in love with it just as easily as the first one. Koko loves cats.
I believe Koko can teach us a lot about ourselves as a race. Specifically, how we interpret and relay signs to one another and how exactly they work. Hers is definitely a story I encourage all to look at. Not to mention. . . Gorillas are just awesome.
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