virus: Re: Inter-species memetic transfer

Glenn Grant (pawn@CAM.ORG)
Thu, 13 Feb 1997 16:39:34 -0500 (EST)

>>Memetic transfers within non-human species are fairly well documented.
>>Seasonally-changing songs are transferred from whale to whale around the
>>planet. Gorillas trained in ASL will teach it to their children.
>>Chimpanzees teach each other simple technologies they've invented - such as
>>fishing for ants by poking sticks into ant-hills.

"Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> replied,

>I can only remain skeptical about all these statements. 'Memetic
>transfer' itself is a clanging term, hardly describable, certainly known
>only to a select few.

Well, yeah. I suppose I should have said "Events we might consider as
possible memetic transfers within non-human species are fairly well
documented". [I'm really not anal enough for this level of discussion!
<gr>]

I agree that these behaviors do not constitute proof of non-human language
- but they are certainly food for thought...

>(And it's termites the chimps go after.... Much tastier.)

Dang. I _thought_ these ants tasted funny. Ptew! Pleh!

-----------------------Glenn Grant-----------------------
<pawn@cam.org>
Web: <http://helios.physics.utoronto.ca:8080/ggrant.html>
"That which does not kill us makes us stranger."
-- Trevor Goodchild