What main factor in our evolution distiguished us from the animals?

Question

For millions of years, man lived just like the animals. Then something happend that unleashed our power of imagination.

Answer 1

critical thinking

morals

love?

Answer 2

I think the answer lies in how the brain is used other than just the fact that it's bigger. Dolphins have much larger brains but aren't very good conversationalists. Human evolutionary history is one of transitions between significant environments. Fundamentally, we transitioned from tree dwelling to land dwelling primates requiring that we use the brain in a different way or face extinction, the natural selector. Brains that were wired too specifically to the tree world could not easily make this transition, while brains that had a more general ability to grasp the functions of the world could proliferate. For instance, if I only thought coconuts could be thrown then I would be severely limited in my ability to throw and hit things. If I understood that almost anything can be thrown, then I have a more useful understanding of the world and can grow and learn in a more general way relative to almost any environment. This allowed humans to develop objective understanding (seeing the world not only through our first person perspective, but from a third person point of view). With this we could understand the nature of not only the elements of the world but of ourselves in that world. From there we opened the gates of creative possibilities, armed with hands that allowed that knowledge to be applied.

Answer 3

Evolution, you must understand, is not a mindless process of change. It is driven by Life itself. The only event that happened that made man not an animal was his recognition of himself as a separately existing entity--in other words, his first step into Maya, the world of the illusion of separate existence--which is the reason for all this in the first place. Without Maya, things would just be boring.

Answer 4

We caught on to the scientific model and record keeping. This allowed us to master laws of science and use it to better ourselves. Record keeping allowed us to learn from other generations before us better than any other animal could possibly could.
None of this would of been possible without the agricultural revolution. That was the point when we could afford to not have all persons trying to hunt and gather food. At that point all else was able to happen that made us different from all the other animals on earth.

Answer 5

You've pretty much answered your own question. It was our large analytical brains that distinguished us from the other animals. Many scientists believe that it was the invention of effective agriculture and the domestication of animals that caused humans to go from primitive cave dwellers to having very advanced civilizations. The ability to produce and raise large amounts of food very quickly, freed up our time so that we could use our large brains for inventing, developing society and creating amazing works of art.

Answer 6

I'd say our conceit. The only thing that sets apart humans from other animals is the fact that we don't believe we are animals. All of our basic urges our the same, we just cover them up because we believe having them would make us less than we are, when in fact it is that we cover them up at all that make us less than we are.

Answer 7

There is a new issue of "Scientific American" that explores this very issue.

Answer 8

It seems that it is the bigger brain that makes us human.

Answer 9

Bigger brain