Alice wrote:

"I don't know whether animals have "deep thoughts" or not, because I have no idea what you all mean by "deep thoughts"."

Thinking = ability to create new ideas, deep thinking = ability to create deep new ideas, i.e. - ideas that explain a lot. Dolphins, and all other non-human animals that we know of do not exhibit this ability, they're stupid.

emma wrote:

"Anyone got any ideas about why humans go all anthropomorphic about mammals? And why it's mostly *mammals* rather than other kinds of living creatures that get the oohs and aahs?"

Basically anthropomorphisers think, "It looks a bit like me, it exhibits complex behaviour, therefore it's smart."

and emma also wrote:

"If I'd read Guns, Germs and Steel I might know the answer to this."

You'd probably be better off with a book by Thomas Sowell if you want to actually understand the kinds of things Jared Diamond writes about in that book.