What separates us from the animals?

Question

Besides biologically. In essence, even humans can be beastial. But what separates us from the other creatures?

Answer 1

The essential physical difference (and this may violate your condition about biology) is the human genome. No other creature, animal or plant, has the genetic combination that WE do. Notice, I said "combination," for in fact, many have the same genes that we do. But the degree of separation genetically is tiny compared to what we see physically. That just goes to show you the BIG impact a small change can have.

But genetics is what makes every living species different from every other; I think you want to know what phenomena, what behavior separates us from all the others. I'll give you five that come to mind, and one respondent has already named one of them: logic, the ability to reason. The others are:

1. Humans are the only species with a brain that thinks about itself. And thinks about itself thinking about itself.

2. Humans are the only species that has the capacity of faith.

3. Humans are the only species that is aware of it's own mortality -and plans for it.

4. Humans are the only species that uses tools to make other tools.

True enough, the above distinctions are often employed in such a manner as to emulate lower animal behavior -which shows how genetically close we are to the lower animals. We've learned what they do -and we do it ourselves -only more so.

The above if offered for discussion; challenges cheerfully received.

Answer 2

Well, the most obvious difference is that humans use tools, however, there is a far more interesting difference:

Every creature on the planet has a brain optimized for a given size of social group. All animals follow this optimization, and rarely live in groups that are any smaller/larger. The Human Brain is meant to have a social group of 150. This means that humans should e living in communities with a population that is no greater then 150. As we know, most people live in massive cities with millions of people. Humans push their brains to the edge, and, thus force it's evolution. Our intelligence is because we force our brains to adapt to a challenging environment. The larger the social group, the more intelligent the animal, and the more that creature pushes it's social group, the more intelligent the creature.

Answer 3

Hmmm, what makes Humans unique from the other animals, lets see...

within mammals:

reduced hair size in our folicles... Pigs
tool use... even Otters use tools
upright walking... done frequently by the proboscis monkey
fatty subcutaneous layer... Seals
self recognition... Chimpanzees
use of vocalizations... Vervet monkeys
a brain capable of complex gramatical language... Bonobo
forward shifted female genetalia... Elephants
breath control... Crab Eating Macaques
abstract thought and a understanding of space and time... Bonobo
bisexualism... Japaneese Macaques
eccrine sweat glands... Patas Monkey
large head to body ratio... squirrel monkeys
use of pharmeceticals... Chimpanzees again
Oposable thumb... Orangutan
diving reflex... Dolphin
brachiating arms... Gibbons
tailless... Gorilla
culture... even capuchin groups develop different traditions
understanding death... Bonobos and Chimpanzees
emotions... Bonobos and chimpanzees
PREMEDITATED MURDER... Elephants and Chimpanzees share this dubious characteristic with us.

What is unique to humans:

acne
back problems
hernias

All that is left to be so proud about...

numerous unique osteological features (forwar shifted foramen magnum, pelvic bone, bone morphology of our heals etc)

We still have the largest head to body ratio, sorry squirrel monkeys

The ability to study and understand our own biology

complex vocalizations

elaborate cultures which often war with each other... but even Chimpanzees war with each other so nothing new there.

THE ABILITY TO CAUSE THE EXTINCTION OF THE OTHER MARVELOUS ANIMALS IN OUR WORLD....
We have this unique ability uncontested

Answer 4

Our stupid ignorant belief that we are the chosen superior being. We think we are the only animal with logic or an ability to deduce or the ability to reason or the ability learn or the ability to .....

Funny how most other mammals just live, travel their worlds and enjoy the wonder of it all. It took a lot of logical reasoning, learning and development to understand that a good healthy life for a us humans is to crowd as many of ourselves into the smallest areas possible, to build homes ever smaller and smaller and the higher we stack ourselves ontop of each other the better. It's good to feed ourselves mass produced processed long life foods and develop wars to occupy oursevels revelling in the fear of dying and we will then all logically reason and learn and develop our understanding so that each next generation will get better at it. And we must not forget that it is with great knowledge acquired from logical reasoning that we understand that it is good and healthy to grind away doing it all over and over again, bigger and better the following time . It is definitely most gratifing to stand in awe of buildings, infrastructure, art, writing etc., than relaxing and enjoying the wonder of a natural world.

Answer 5

Alfred Korzybski said it was that last quarter inch of cortex that made the difference. It's the ability to reason, to use logic, to communicate fine and detailed concepts to each other. Birds might be able to say, "Follow me to some great berries", but humans can describe the berries, give details about the berry's structure, best planting practices, recipes on how to make preserves, history of cultivation, and even modify the genetic make up to get a bigger crop.

That little extra cortex is pretty impressive stuff, isn't it...

Answer 6

The ability to think in the abstract & convey these thoughts in a complicated syntaxial language is the only difference.
Animals can cooperate in some fairly complicated exercises as evidenced by packs of canids, prides of lions & groups of chimps. Some evidence of a crude religion among some groups of chimps exists (Thunder Dance) but is open to much debate.
Chuckle... our civilization rests upon duct tape & WD-40. "If it moves & shouldn't, use duct tape & if it don't move but should, use WD-40."

Answer 7

I probable say it thank you to oftentimes in my judgemental recommendations, and outloud unquestionably, people are animals twisted out of control with the aid of their ability for precis thinking. I unquestionably have enjoyed analyzing the solutions to this question, they verify plenty for me. people in all of their evolutionary technique have purely approximately carried out their utmost superb to show what animals we are with our king of the hill thinking.........yet enormously quickly we wont be around cuz a type of days we are able to kill ourselves off attempting to be the fabulous canines. So in spite of the fact that it fairly is that separates us i wish gets us to work out that we would desire to get alongside until eventually now we arent around to get alongside. i think of that the Human race is magnificent and that what we've achieved in this earth is fantastic, I propose look in any respect persons talk directly throughout this earth, it amazes me. yet i've got faith, (and it fairly is the place issues get a sprint fuzzy for me through fact I shop not being believed, advised i'm loopy with the aid of many unquestionably, so i may be incorrect), that our intolerance of the certainty of our authentic animalism (no god) is what separates us from the animals. (honestly, way not basic to maintain on with, sorry). S i needed to function some thing to the remark approximately people caging different animals yet not people. have you ever seen the penal complex inhabitants, in California on my own i think of that it rather is the main source of earnings from taxation of people. Do you have any thought what number all and sundry is locked up for turning out to be/possessing a organic herb to this planet and the worst element it motives is an obese society and a few comfortable human beings and we've already got that because it have been, a minimum of the burden problems, so tell me people are actually not caged with the aid of people...BTW I unquestionably have not been to penal complex/penal complex for pot or the different crime. that we don't settle for that there's no god replaced into my answer btw edited: to the commentor that reported not something fairly does separate us, i needed to show that there is likewise, not our ability to chat, yet our ability to mass talk with the aid of written and spoken language we learn all of the different species and our very own, and it fairly is to my, albeit constrained, recognize-how that we are the only species that do learn different species for motives different than food, shelter, and risk-free practices. I propose an excellent sort of your supplies have been mass verbal substitute.

Answer 8

Two by fours; insulation, drywall and vinyl siding is what really separates us from the other animals.

Answer 9

Verbal speech. Art.

Answer 10

logic which is actually due to our genes... the genes we have express differently and they're more too... tha's what makes us human... oh! another difference issmiling and laughing... noone knows why we laugh and why we act like we do when we laugh or hear sth funny... it has to do with the brain... no other animal can do that.