Re: Are we "special"?
Roger Dodger (rogerdodger@triax.com)
16 Dec 96 10:01:44 -700
Roger Dodger has this to say about that-
>>
>> I still think man is unique among animals, though.
>Biologists won't disagree with that at all. They just have a
>significantly greater knowledge and appreciation of the uniqueness of
>animals other than man, as well.
>--
>Paul Myers Department of Biology
About the only thing about man that is special is the way he uses his
brain (ALL higher life forms have a brain). Man has an 'imagination'
and is able to reproduce what he sees (called art by some), and he
knows he will die someday. So much for 'unique'.
Other than that, man is built on a fairly standardized mammalian
structure (bones, organs, etc.). He is an Omnivore, which makes him
fairly non-specialized since he can eat nearly anything that dosen't
eat him first. Other creatures are bi-pedal, but man uses his
bipedality in a somewhat different manner (called striding).
Man has no killing-type weapons (i.e. fangs/claws). He has no hair
coat. Both of these last two make man adjust his environment to his
own needs instead of adjusting to an environnment.
Up to a point, man is a fairly social creature. After that point is
reached, he forms packs and kills his own kind in an effort to adjust
his tendency to overpopulate (since man can/does mate at any time, the
population tends to grow at the rate of gestation of the female of the
species). But this does not make him unique; ants do the same thing.
Roger Dodger
from the City-State of the Invincible Overlord
As long as the answer is right, who cares if the question is wrong?
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