To my understanding, the assumption that humans alone are "sentient" and fundamentally different from animals hasn't been part of the general scientific consens

To my understanding, the assumption that humans alone are "sentient" and fundamentally different from animals hasn't been part of the general scientific consensus for decades. Apes, monkeys, octopuses and crows have been observed making use of tools, or even making tools with which to make tools. Measured neural activity in crows suggests self-reflection and high level cognition [1]. Lots of species (including elephants, dolphins, and even pigeons) can pass the mirror test, suggesting an awareness of self. There's controversy about how to measure or interpret animals' subjective experience, but I think it's pretty clear at this point that human intelligence compared to animal intelligence is a difference of degree, not of type. [1]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-crows-possess-form-consciousness-180975940/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-crows-possess-f...