Nonhuman primates cannot communicate vocally about absent or nonexistent objects or past or future events. Thus, their call systems lack the linguistic design feature of

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Displacement is the linguistic feature that allows language users to talk about things that are not present in the immediate physical environment, including past and future events or imaginary concepts. Nonhuman primates' vocal communication lacks this feature, as they are generally only able to communicate about things that are directly present or happening in the moment.

Nonhuman Primates Cannot Communicate Vocally About Absent or Nonexistent Objects