Final answer:
The ability to describe things not currently present in the environment, which nonhuman primates typically lack, is known as displacement. This feature distinguishes human language from other forms of animal communication, allowing for complex, open-ended expression and the development of human cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ability to describe things that are not immediately present is a feature of language called displacement. This characteristic allows language users to talk about things that are not currently observed, from objects in another location to events in the past or future, or even abstract concepts. Nonhuman primates, despite being able to use gestures or tokens to refer to things around them and combine those signs in a rule-based way to communicate, are typically unable to use displacement in the same way that humans do. Human language allows for the creation of new meanings through an open-ended and flexible system of communication, while nonhuman primate communication is generally limited and context-specific. The research into whether the apes' ability to use aspects of human language is innate or a result of being taught remains ongoing, but it is clear that human language, with its infinite possibilities and cultural transmission, stands apart in its complexity and capacity for creativity, enabling the formation of richly textured human cultures.