Image by daveynin via Flickr
Throughout human history, the ability to communicate well has separated the species from creatures of lesser talent. While the first human communications were probably little more than grunts combined with hand or arm gestures, the intelligence of Homo Sapiens was manifested in their ability to improve upon this limitation. Such improvements have brought humans to the point where they appear to be the best communicators on Planet Earth, rivaled only by whales for distance of coherent vocal travel.
Humans cannot send their voices very far except by artificial means however, and it was in the creation of complex devices to do so that man truly set himself apart from animals.
In so doing, man rose above animals, in the ability to exchange useful information over vast distances. It is only via long range communication that masses of humans can be aware of very distant threats which could endanger their existence, such as approaching storms or invading armies. This ability helps to ensure that as long as the planet is inhabitable, humans will remain the domestic species at the top of the food chain.
In past human history, superior vocal communication also enabled the survival of the species, while other, less fortunate varieties of animals became extinct. Early humans learned to create more complicated sounds than just grunts and clicks, and from these sounds arrived language, which was the ultimate defense against approaching predators. While most animal groups can sound an alarm to approaching danger, humans improved upon this ability to add specifics such as directional cues, as in, ˜The lion is approaching from behind you! This skill vastly aided in successfully eluding capture.
This talent might seem insignificant to the survival of the species, yet it is only one of many examples of what a superior vocalizing ability can achieve. Excellent communication can relate that one is feeling cold and needs another blanket, or thirsty and needs another drink, before cold or dehydration weakens the afflicted. Each little communiqué can and does help to propagate the species, rather than leave an isolated person at risk from the surrounding environment.