Neuroimaging has become an increasingly important tool for psychology and animal behaviour, especially in the studies of cognitive functions (human and non-human), and the past two decades have seen an enormous increase in functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) research. fMRI is one of the best neuroimaging methods ever devised, merging high spatial resolution with relatively high temporal resolution. fMRI has contributed significantly to integrating cognitive psychology and neuroscience into the interdisciplinary field of cognitive neuroscience. The capabilities of fMRI are being expanded to other fields as well, like social psychology, leading to the even more interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/science/21obbrain.html?_r=0

Replicated from another thread  "do animals think........."

From simple animals the entire brain

connectome is known, e.g. of C. elegans.

http://phys.org/news/2013-05-digital-life-openworm-source.html

http://www.openworm.org/

Some other brain atlases:

http://brainmaps.org/index.php

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2525925/

http://www.brain-map.org/

http://brainatlas.mbi.ufl.edu/

Regards,

Joachim

Thank you Constantine and Joachim!  Now to see if the part of the brain which is used in speech in people is replicated in the brain of a dog while barking.

More often birdsong has been compared

with human speech.

http://phys.org/news/2015-06-key-element-human-language-bird.html

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/346/6215/1256846

http://phys.org/news/2014-12-genomics-vocalizing-birds-human-speech.html

http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/news/news-picks/alcohol-affects-birds--singing-much-as-it-does-human-speech-a-news-pick-post

http://phys.org/news/2014-02-human-dog-brains-dedicated-voice.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/cp-had021114.php

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822%2814%2901339-6

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1792/20141370

http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/115622/Recognizing_the_basic_structure_of_language_is_not_unique_to_the_human_brain_.html

The brain's speech processing center has recently

gotten a new home. 3 cm away from the Wernicke area.

http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=61864&PageTemplateID=295

Regards,

Joachim

I watched the last film.  So now can anyone deny that what we call speech, since it arises in a place analogous to where humans process speech, does not exist in other animals?

Virtually every mammal and bird is able to

associate a word, a call, or a sound with

a concept or program. I think that's undisputed,

and generally not considered speech.

Here is the case of Chaser, a dog that is

able to combine a verb and a noun to a

short 'sentence' with a meaning not learned

before.

The verbs are take, paw, nose.

The nouns are lips, ABC, lamb.

One might criticise that there are only

9 possible inputs to learn and that Chaser

could have associated each combination with

an appropriate action. But my impression is

that Chaser is really capable of combining

words to something new. AFAIR Kanzi the

bonobo used new combinations of words to

communicate (water-fruit for watermelons).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbI13nbDRRI

Some literature:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7072136_Arnold_K_Zuberbuhler_K_Language_evolution_semantic_combinations_in_primate_calls_Nature_441_303

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v441/n7091/abs/441303a.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/uoa-bcm110805.php

http://www.nature.com/news/1998/040607/full/news040607-8.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fido-found-to-be-wiz-with/

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-04/uoc--tba042106.php

Regards,

Joachim

Article Arnold, K. & Zuberbuhler, K. Language evolution: semantic co...

Here is a review article of Japanese brain-mapping projects using the common marmoset:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168010214001904

Tatsuo, Thank you so much for providing this example.  I must run but will look at your article when I get back! 

Martha

Dear Tatsuo.

Great response on the merits.

Vladimir

One of those chimps (Washoe) that learned to sign put words together much as Kanzi.  The story goes that when he saw a swan he signed water bird. 

I don't think it would be hard to prove Chaser's abilities with a programme that gave him more of a workout.  At least we could say "yes, he understands the parts of speech separately and can understand what is said to him in two words, three words, etc.  Maybe  we will find a limit to Chaser's abilities, but he certainly understands simple sentences.