A simple (and very incomplete) taxonomy of skills

differentiations and examples:

A simple taxonomy of skills includes the following differentiations:

• individual-based skills such as walking, versus group-based skills such as mating and hunting as a pack. All group-based skills must, of course, draw on similar or complementary individual-based skills.
• innate skills, copied skills, and discovered skills
• action skills and perception skills
• basic skills (not reducible), and composite skills
• communication skills for coordinating group-based skills
• human language is used for copying skills and for coordinating tasks. Speech and writing involve physical action.

Individual-based skills include the following:

• walking, sitting on a chair, chasing prey that is moving
• mimicry to copy action and learning new skills
• somewhat randomized action that might lead to discoveries, including new skills
• communicative action and perception that might lead to individual-based and group-based benefits
• for human language, speech and writing are action-oriented skills
• speech listening and comprehension is a perception-oriented skill
• reading combines action-oriented skills with perception-oriented skills

Group-based skills include:

• sexual reproduction
• communication, within and across species
• care and feeding of young, if shared
• herd and pack behaviours for hunting as well as dealing with danger
• human social and organizational behaviour