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<blockquote data-quote="edemaitre" data-source="post: 6580606" data-attributes="member: 3372">Sentient quadrupedsIf you read some of the latest scientific studies or transhumanist science fiction such as David Brin's &quot;Uplift&quot; novels, you'd see that the distinctions between animal intelligence and human sentience aren't as big as previously assumed. Yes, tool use is an issue, but some dolphins create sonar &quot;nets&quot; to herd fish, elephants have dexterous trunks, and parrots and ravens use their beaks and talons as well as tools. And we're just beginning to appreciate the capabilities of octopi....Staying away from fantasy races like centaurs, it should still be possible to envision a sentient quadruped capable of manipulating tools. Elephants are probably your best model. Changing and varied environments put pressure on species to adapt, and an agile mouth, forelimbs, or even antlers or tusks could enable the use of tools.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="edemaitre, post: 6580606, member: 3372"] [b]Sentient quadrupeds[/b] If you read some of the latest scientific studies or transhumanist science fiction such as David Brin's "Uplift" novels, you'd see that the distinctions between animal intelligence and human sentience aren't as big as previously assumed. Yes, tool use is an issue, but some dolphins create sonar "nets" to herd fish, elephants have dexterous trunks, and parrots and ravens use their beaks and talons as well as tools. And we're just beginning to appreciate the capabilities of octopi.... Staying away from fantasy races like centaurs, it should still be possible to envision a sentient quadruped capable of manipulating tools. Elephants are probably your best model. Changing and varied environments put pressure on species to adapt, and an agile mouth, forelimbs, or even antlers or tusks could enable the use of tools. [/QUOTE]

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