Are we really a "superior" species on this planet?

Question

think about it, we have barely been around as a species for a seconds when you consider how old life is on this planet.

Are we really superior to sharks whose species can be measured in the millions?

Or crocodillians of which I can say the same?

cockaroaches?

Are we really superior to these life forms when they have been more successfull at life long before us, and likely long after we become extinct?

Is the ability to reason and invent and use tools to the degree that we can really that important when it is a trait that can and likely will cause our own destruction?

To those who want me to define superior, I would ask you to include that in part of your analysis.

Is superior really our intelligence and reason when that might be the very trait that makes us less able to adapt in the end? Or it puts us teetering in a constant flux where we walk the tightrope of extinction? Or is the definition of superior bieng able to adapt and live longer as a species or something else?

Do all the art, technology and culture really mean anything to anyone when we are gone?

Answer 1

That depends upon your view of the situation. Humans blow each other up....Intelligent!!!!

In all seriousness, we are not superior. Humans have lost most of their natural instincts, so, technically, we are the most inferior. We adapt well....yet cannot survive on our own in the wild.

Answer 2

Humans pick characteristics that are 'unique' to our species -

language (but that's not unique), opposable thumbs (that's not unique either), high brain mass compared to body weight (not unique), use of tools (not unique)

- and then pick these characteristics to be requirements for superiority.

Kind of like a rich person defines success as having financial wealth - thus they are successful by having that wealth even if it was inherited.

Or like a religious person defines happiness as having a close relationship with their God - thus they are happy if they have it even if making the claim requires anyone who doesn't agree has to be wrong.

The idea is we look at ourselves and then define superior to be whatever we are. We don't define superior and THEN compare ourselves to that definition.

We love putting the cart or ego before the horse of objectivity.

Answer 3

i wouldn't say so we may have evolved quicker but we sure as hell wont as last long as the other species, we are probably the only species that are so destructive and the only species that quite frankly won't be happy till we've disected wrecked and ruined everything that we have and we may have only been on the planet a few million years but we've done more damage to it than any other species that was ever on this earth we've ploughed through forests and greenland for our own selfish needs and put a great big hole in the ozone layer so all the earths climate is to pot,killing of species of animals in the process and to top it all of we are causing wars left right and centre so i don't reckon it will; be long till we all blow each other up or maybe even wreck the planet with a few nukes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so NO in my opinion we are far from superior cause if we where we would'nt be doing all these things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

It depends on ones definition of "superior." Humans are generally called the superior species because we're at the top of the food chain.

Answer 5

It depend on what you define superior as. what makes humans great is our ability to think and our ability to make tools. we do have superior intelligence (pure brain power) compared to other animals. and our ability to make tools have given us the ability to wipe out any other animal on this planet if we chose do so. So in that way we are superior. But in a more basic way, we are still animals, and there not much that separate us from them in terms of our drive to exist in this world.

Answer 6

We are superior to other animals in our particular niche. We are inferior in theirs. Take for example a chimpanzee. Chimps are far more adapted to their forest environment than we. Even though we evolved from the same bipedal ancestor some 5 million years ago, chimps went a separate direction and moved back into an arboreal / semi-arboreal niche. A human couldn't even come close to keeping up with a chimp.

Answer 7

Humans are physically inferior, mentally superior and pushing many species towards extinction. Overpopulation will be our downfall unless we can spread out into the universe and drain its resources next.

Answer 8

Earth is over 4 billion years old, yet we humans have only inhabited the planet for merely 4-5 million years. It is feasible that we can likely cause our own destruction.

Answer 9

the fact that humans control their own destiny and no other species on the planet has the power to wipe out themselves without natural law setting in checks and balances confirms to me that there is in fact soemthing more to the story than random dna mutating into a human. for all intenets and purposes we are darwinian theorys' (which i totally agree with survival of the fittest inthe non human natural world) worst nightmare and therfore assuming that god did in fact create us, yes, we are the top of the ladder. perhaps there areother animals that aremore intelligent, but dont have opposable thumbs or whatever it is, we do rule, and sometimes, rule poorly

Answer 10

You cannot logically compare apples to oranges. Each fruit is unique to itself. Each species has it's own unique capabilities. Some humans are more intelligent than others. Spiders have different talents varying in species, due to macro evolution. It depends. and is subjective.