Posted on 11/22/2013 1:58:08 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
We humans tend to think of ourselves as better than, or at least separate from, all other species on this planet. But every species is unique, and in that sense humans are no different.
Nevertheless, it seems obvious that there is something extra special about us -- after all, we are the species running the zoos. In "The Gap," I survey what we currently do and do not know about what exactly sets humans apart.
What are the physical differences that distinguish us from our closest animal relatives?
There are some notable ways in which our bodies differ from those of apes and old-world monkeys. We can lock our knees straight, have longer legs than arms, and habitually walk upright, freeing our hands to do things other than carry our weight.
We have a chin. Our body surface is covered in sweat glands that provide a more effective cooling system than those of other primates. We have lost our canines and much of our protective fur -- leaving males with the apparently pointless, but persistent, growth of beards.
The iris of our eyes is relatively small and surrounded by white rather than dark sclera, making it easy for us to identify the direction of another's gaze. Human females show no outward markers of their fertile phase, and human males lack a penis bone.
These are not exactly groundbreaking traits, compared to, say, the emergence of wings in birds, which catapulted their bearers into a new sphere of possibility....
(Excerpt) Read more at wptv.com ...
Men have souls and are made in the image and likeness of God.
That used to be a universally held truth in the Western world. But once the leftists and modernists eradicated that belief, the powerful could literally get away with murder (holocaust, abortion, etc.)
In one sense, yes, Humans are very different from other animals, in that we have developed a highly-complex society that is also highly diverse (other animals do have complex societies, but they tend to be complex in one way only).
In another sense, we’re no different, since we’re simply one more way that DNA has found to successfully propagate and perpetuate itself.
Because we're all different, we're the same. hmm.
A little noted difference between humans and othe creatures is the vast range of individual differences. Shaquille O’Neal and Taylor Swift are the same species as are Halle Berry and Whoopie Goldberg. Our facial structure, coloring, adult size, height and weight are remarkably variable even within the same ethnic group.
That occurs in our domesticated animals much more than their wild counterparts (Dogs versus wolves) so who domesticated us?
Refer to post #2.
I believe we did through our mate selection process. There’s a sexual preference for taller, better looking and fitter partners. Even so there’s a huge difference among attractive people as well. Canine differences are among breeds not individuals. All greyhound individuals look much more alike than human individuals.
language, foresight, mind-reading, intelligence, culture and morality
No other animal can talk. Gives us the ability to cooperate and make deals and plan and to learn from our history. It gives us the ability to perfect ourselves as a species. No other animal can do any of this at all. We have to admit this whether we believe in God or not. But for those of us who don’t, they can have fun asking the question why are we so different.
The headline writer deserves a cookie for writing “different from.”
The government has no conscience!
I’m thinking of getting my JackChi (half Jack Russell/half Chihuahua) a little sports car so he can pick up the mail. LOL
“We’re two steps closer to being an ordinary animal...we kill our babies if they’re inconvenient and we promote homosexuality as a way of life”
Animals kill other’s babies (even if they are from the same species), not their own; they also don’t engage in homosexuality, but go to great lengths to breed.
Your dog is more human than Ted Kennedy.
No, the canines are still there, although they are no longer larger than the other teeth. Interestingly, teeth have shrunk measurably in the last few thousand years, which seems to be a consequence of our shift to eating cooked food.
We can compare alternative routes to the future and deliberately select one plan over another -- giving us a sense of free will and an edge over creatures with less foresight.
This also burdens us, however, with the responsibility for getting it right. The future is uncertain and, of course, we often get it wrong.
I do not believe that liberals have a very well-developed ability to foresee the future. If they did... well, they wouldn't be liberal. As an example, one only need look at the Clinton era policy of forcing banks to give mortgages to people who cannot qualify to borrow money; the collapse of the mortgage market in 2008 was an entirely foreseeable consequence of that policy.
Yet, despite this variety of superficial differences, humans are not as genetically diverse as some other species--for instance, chimpanzees.
It’s tough being a primate.
The phenotype is remarkably variable. Cockatoos, basking sharks, otters and camels display far less variability in their general appearance than we do.
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