What It Means To Be Human

[loseyourname]

Our beta chain of hemoglobin differs by 1 amino acid out of 146 from that of the gorilla, 2 from the gibbon, 8 from the rhesus monkey, 27 from the mouse, and 67 from the frog.

[dusken]

Where would humans be without text books?

[loseyourname]

Homo sapiens is the only primate without an opposable big toe as well as the only primate with a unique bone structure at the base of the thumb that allows for precision manipulation, such as that required to write. Modern humans have an average brain size of about 1300 cc's, as opposed to the 450 of the next largest hominoid brain, that of the chimpanzee. All modern hominoids other than humans walk on all four limbs when on the ground, and spend much of their time in the trees. Sexual dimorphism is reduced in humans, with the average male being 1.2 times the size of the average female, as opposed to double for the gorilla and orangutan, and 1.35 times for the chimpanzee and the bonobo. Homo sapiens is the only hominoid lacking the prognathic jaw, and so we have a flatter face with a more pronounced chin.

[loseyourname]

Originally posted by dusken Where would humans be without text books?

Indeed. Humans are the only species to develop writing and to show cultural evolution and the passing on of knowledge from generation to generation, allowing the species to advance in wisdom at a much faster pace than any other animal.

[Anonymouse]

Or humans are spiritual beings that were created by intelligent design.

[naturalyhi]

Humans

humans...considering the fact that we only use about 10% of our brains(% might differ not really sure) and we got this far thats pretty amazing, here's a question since we pass knowlige from genaration to genaration, does the human mind expand with that?? and what if we could use 100% of our brain capacity?

[dusken]

Re: Humans

Originally posted by naturalyhi humans...considering the fact that we only use about 10% of our brains(% might differ not really sure) and we got this far thats pretty amazing, here's a question since we pass knowlige from genaration to genaration, does the human mind expand with that?? and what if we could use 100% of our brain capacity?

Knowledge does not change capacity.

And we would all probably be hairless with very white skin and we would have very magnetic personalities and we would have an uncanny ability to cause "emapthy" and we would all die via lightning bolt.

[naturalyhi]

..

hairless? white skin? dead? where did you come up with all of this stuff? any logic behind it....and another thing how can you say knowlage does not effect capacity... so humans 10 000 years ago used the same amount of brain capacity as humans do now??

[dusken]

Re: ..

Originally posted by naturalyhi hairless? white skin? dead? where did you come up with all of this stuff? any logic behind it....and another thing how can you say knowlage does not effect capacity... so humans 10 000 years ago used the same amount of brain capacity as humans do now??

If you went back in time and adopted a baby from the Roman Empire and raised it in this time, it will be as if it was born now. Unless natural selection has caused an increase in brain capacity, the intellectual potentials would be the same.

Interesting thing I have learned: Neanderthals actually had a higher brain capacity than we do now, but the primates we are descended from had the ability to communicate with eachother, giving them a survival advantage.

[sleuth]

Originally posted by loseyourname I don't know if I'd lend a whole lot of creedence to that. Whales and dolphins have pretty advanced languages, and chimps and gorillas can communicat pretty effectively using sign language once they are taught; they just don't have the mouth and throat structure necessary to make all the sounds we can. Otherwise they might possess primitive oral language capacities.

exactly!!! I was hoping that someone will come up with idea that animals have languages...thanks loseyourname. That's why i pointed out ''some
scientists ''...another really good evidence that scientist don't have a clue what they are searching for hehehhe ..
Dolphins also can show high degree of emotional intelligence.