Why is it that humans are so interested in convincing themselves that animals talk? Is there a "Dr. Doolittle" syndrome that we should be allocating funds to treat?

     Not meing a medical doctor or Senior Fellow of Physiology at some diploma mill, I can only offer my "opinion", based on my somewhat limited knowledge of what it takes for humans to speak: 1) Humans possess a Hyoid bone in their throats; 2) the Hyoid is exclusive to humans; 3) the Hyoid is attached to the jaw, skull, larnyx, pharnyx, and tongue, so it can produce speech; and, 4) as far as I know, only the human brain is "wired" for reasoned, intuitive, and cognizant mental processes that allow for the formation of thoughts that are translated into speach.

    I'm certain that there are more sophisticated opinions and explainations than mine. And, I'm just as certain that dolphins are so far from human speech as to be considered squeeking "fish".