appreciation vs thanks

appreciation and thanks both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
appreciation	Yes	No	No	No
thanks	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, thanks is a hypernym of appreciation; that is, thanks is a word with a broader meaning than appreciation:

appreciation (noun)	thanks (noun)
a favorable judgment	with the help of or owing to
an increase in price or value	an acknowledgment of appreciation
understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something
delicate discrimination (especially of esthetic values)
an expression of gratitude