Why do people describe human beings as this planet's dominant species?

Question

They only live on a small percentage of the world's land mass, can't breathe underwater, are divided by individualism and tribalism, take nine months to reproduce, and their infants are highly dependant on parental care. Surely it's bacteria and insects that are really top dog?

Answer 1

Excellent insight. However, we're the only self-aware species as far as we can tell, and our capacity to modify our environment is unparalleled (allowing many humans to survive illnesses and birth defects that would otherwise be lethal). And finally, our ideas about causation and meaning (however primitive they might be) have made us the only species to ponder such questions as, "how did they universe start?"

So, I for one do think we're in control of ourselves and our planet to a degree that no other species can match for now.

Answer 2

Wow, I've never heard that one. Insects and bacteria ?

Well, to answer your question, Many reasons why humans are dominant.
1) We are the most adaptable species on earth by FAR! Give us temperatures 50 degrees colder and we'll just create heavier coats. Give us 50 degrees warmer and we'll use air conditioning to compensate. Just a couple examples.
2) We are the most intelligent and technologically advanced species on earth, again by HUGE margins. This ties in with #1 because it is our technology and intelligence that enables us to adapt so well.
3) Sure, we can't live in water, but our technology allows us to spend a lot of time in water. Can land-dwelling insects do that ? Can water-based insects live on land ?
4) We take 9 months to reproduce, yes. Your point ? I don't see how this is a disadvantage. The larger the species, generally speaking, the longer it takes to grow the fetus.
5) Infants are highly dependent on parents, yep. But again, it doesn't really matter because we are so advanced that our infant mortality rate is very low compared to the vast majority of other species. Seriously, compare infant mortality rates of insects to humans. Humans blow everything else way here.
6) Humans are divided. Ok, that's more of a cultural thing. But the way I see it, insects CAN'T be divided on individualism and tribalism and the like because they are TOO DAMN STUPID!!! LOL. Again, I think this underscores how humans are on top. Insects and other lower animals rely on primarily (if not entirely) on instinct.
7) We only live on a small percentage of the world's land mass ?? Show me any single species in existence in the entire world that lives in more diverse areas than humans ??? The answer "insects" doesn't count because that encompasses millions of species. Humans win this category also.

Answer 3

It's all relative. The ants couldhave had a few hundred world war between them, but we might not notice it.

Finally, one thing about the humans that other species don't have is that they have change through time. The ants continue to inhabit the same environments as their ancestors million years ago. The same can be said of all other species. The tigers are not able to dive into the seas, nor the donkeys able to go to the moon. We write hisotry, I'm not aware of any other species that does so. Humans have been able to use and control other living beings and objects and come up with inventions that would change aspects how man can live on earth. Humans have gone everywhere, to the moon and beneaththe oceans, through their own planning and inventions. I never saw a snake do such a thing.

Numbers don't matter as much as achievements and change. Hence the human domination.

Answer 4

Humans think they are the planet's dominant species purely because they have bigger egos than anything else on the planet! They actually have the audacity to think they "own" the planet and the fact that they can modify the landscape and environment (for better or worse) makes them superior to other creatures which live in harmony with the environment. This is not logical. Humanity has an ego problem highlighted by the fact that they are in denial of the fact that they are a mere component of this planet. Tomorrow a super-virus or asteroid collision or whatever could wipe out the human race and the fact is that the planet will do just fine without us. Life goes on.

Answer 5

Humans are considered the dominant species because they choose to live in the best parts of the planet, they eat or cage or kill or control other species with little interference and they have been stuffing up the planet since the industrial revolution and there is nothing on the planet which can stop them. That's why they are the dominant species.

Answer 6

I think that people decribe human beings as this planet's dominant species because people tend to behave dominantly and controlling over other inhabitants. I think it is a description of behavior rather than geographic distribution or physical adaptations. People describing their own species with minds & ego's. People have taken what they want, when they want it and only in recent years become conscientious about the effects.
You may be right about bacteria and hm... insects. They have been around much longer than humans. And are adept to adapt.

Answer 7

Many answers you will receive will state that it is our brain size, that we have evolved as a species and that we are the dominant of all species. Any one of these answers would certainly be correct. If we pick apart your question it is true that we live on a small area of the earth, that we can't breath underwater, etc; yet amazingly we prevail. Our dominating the earth, in geologic time, has not been very long. Several factors account for this besides brain size, we are bipedal, and we have hands that can manipulate many things and with great ease. Its this last part that really makes us - the hands. Think about what it took early man to carve out a bow and to hold back the arrow to shoot it. We can manipulate just about anything with our hands. They are tools that man learned how to use extensively and with great efficiency and therein lies the secret to our sucess in the animal kingdom.

Answer 8

Because we are. Dominance isn't always about size but potential. Out of all the species on the planet, human are by far the most intelligent. Our intelligence gives us power and an edge over other species. Europeans were able to enslave African because they had guns. Technological sophistication and higher intelligence gives you much more might than bigger beings.

Unfortunately, we have abused our power. We're destroying the planet, killing others of our own species and killing of other species not for survival but for our own selfish amusement.

Answer 9

because people are ignorant and foolish, you're right, prokarotes like bacteria and archea have been around for alot long than us, this planet is primarily run by bacteria, we are just a spec of nothing compared to them, it is bacteria who shape the environment we live in, we come in second place even with all our polution we fear destroys the world, that is our arrogance.

from mapping the human genome it has been found that humans are 11% retrovirus, so there you have it, we lose as a species, we are here now, gone tomorrow, try getting rid of bacteria so easily with your big dom!!

Prince_of_Zotos - I just read a few things here..haha 6,7,8 are all interelated in bacteria which do it much better than us - biofilms!!!, 8 is irrelevant, 2 - it has been proven that live cells can and have traveled in space as far as mars and perhaps even other planets, we have allegedly got to the moon. 10 domination over other species - we can't live without bacteria, they can without us, how is that domination. was 4 terraforming? read about the nitrogen cycle and all the other processes which I don't recall now as I found it quite dull. If you really want to know more then go to university or googlesearch and read a few different sources in the area that interests you.

Answer 10

We could be the planets most compassionate species, if we tried.

That is a very good point you make. Why is it that human nature leads to classification of supremacy? From our own social circles to government to the planet and back again.

We as human’s in America could stand to learn a lesson from the rest of the world. In the Kyoto talks did the tribes of the Amazon need to cut down on anything? What about the Aboriginis of Austrailia, or the farmers in the fields? They did not need to be represented in Kyoto because they are not damaging the planet.

I think that we can learn a lot about ourselves and our role on this planet from the rest of the beings on the planet. Somehow we are all alive. Don’t tell me a dog don’t have a soul, or a plant does not feel. That’s like saying humans can breath without oxygen.

Answer 11

You are correct read "the Green Brain" by frank Herbert. When has a virus planned to paint the Mona Lisa. When was the last time the fly built a build. Its not just tool use the apes and some birds do that. We are the only ones that can planned to change the entire world in which we live. Panama canal would help on your migration route if there was a being that needed to go east and west but except for us they are out of luck. It is not the greatest of gifts/curses cause we have a few problems, and if we are not careful we may ruin this our only space lifeboat.