>>116705677>>116705687Ultimately we define “civilized” in anthropomorphic ways. Not necessarily intelligence, just intelligence that resembles human.
Hence why we have debate on what our criteria even is and seemingly pointless research when we have a new perspective.
For example, it has been posited that creating art and music is a mark of civilization. So now you have to verify if apes and elephants are creating art of their own intelligence, or mimicking what they were shown to do with simple variations.
You have to study what animals do that can be called music, if they can replicate it, if they appreciate it different. Which they do by the way, although no species seems to grasp all of our range of what we call music.
In SU it was simplified. Humans and the natural forms of Gems are highly similar, and Pink witnessed them using tools, communicating, and cooperating as well as laughing all in her first contact. Had Gems encountered human-like animals in the past or if the natural form of Gem was more alien then this would be more of a plot point than it is.
