This is a little bit off topic, but I just wanted to give my opinion on this. (I don't want to start a fight, here. I just want to give my opinion).<br /> <br /> Humans have a lot in common with primates, and scientist have found evidence of evolution. My grandmother, for example, is very religious. She believes that animals evolve, but if you tried to tell her that humans evolved from primates, she would freak out.<br /> <br /> As I said, humans have a lot in common with animals, and I believe that we are in fact animals who evolved like everything else did. So if animals evolve, why is it so hard to believe that we did, too? And why is it so hard for some people to believe that we are animals?<br /> <br /> Some people might argue that monkeys and apes exist today, so they didn't evolve into humans, so evolution isn't true. Well, of course monkeys exist today. I think we evolved from a different species of primate, of course none of the primates that are alive today. So I think that we are animals, and we evolved from ape like creatures millions of years ago.

With what I've seen, heard, and studied in classes, that we are animals, I believe it. Sure if you look at the basic differences and listen to the opinions of other people, it could be easy for anyone who hasn't looked into the subject, to believe we <b>aren't</b> animals. First off, we have opposable thumbs, but then again, so do primates. We stand upright while we walk, then again so do some primates. We have brains that allow us to do the smartest things like invent new technology or use everyday items to help us in a situation, but then elephants have a wonderful memory, and primates know how to use sticks to help them find food in trees. We have our own language, so do animals. Just as we speak English, a person in Germany speaks German. Now you might argue that we can decipher German and understand what it means, but just because it's hard to understand what our dog is telling us, or when a cat's telling us to back off, it doesn't make any difference. The common things we have with animals, that science recognizes us as animals with, are instincts. A bear cub knows when there is danger and so do human toddlers. When one sees a snake, they're immediately afraid. We all have instincts that tell us what certain body language means. When we see a person with a frown, we know they're sad. When we see an animal, such as a dog growling and snarling at us, we know it's angry and so does any animal that's not of it's species. We all recognize different ways to communicate and act towards any living thing. And to add to this, millions of years ago, we evolved from a primate. If you check out the evolution of mankind, you'll find that we are closely related to primates.

Meredith, unless you can actually back anything you say up with facts, and bother to cite references or provide links to factual, unbiased information, it seems very counter-productive, to me, for you to keep pushing the same thing in nearly every topic I see you pop up in. You push your religion and/or completely unsupported opinions and never back it up, and I'm beginning to think you rile people up on purpose. You've seen the same reactions to the same argument you keep putting forward no matter what topic you're posting in.<br /> <br /> It's starting to look like you're just trolling for reactions.<br /> <br /> In any case, sorry to derail the topic a bit. :P<br /> <br />

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Science can only go so far?<br /> <br /> Fail. Science can prove how every system in your body works and why they allow you to live and breath. And how disturbingly similar they are to other members of the animal kingdom. Also, if you're just plain lazy, this isn't the place for you. Take a class on this, and then comes back me with actual facts.

you want facts? there are many more differences than similiarities. (im a tad bit ashamed to admit im much too lazy to list them all...) and i think science can only go so far.

Meredith, I would like to point you to the Human Genome Project.<br /> <br /> Through it, scientists have discovered that the only difference between people, and any other animal on Earth, is certain genetic "switches" being activated, or not being activated. For more info, see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhoVcL7Ssmk">here</a>, and even this is only barely scratching at all the facts the HGP has uncovered.<br /> <br /> All life on this planet is connected and related in some form or fashion, through DNA. We have uncovered proof that all life had to originate from one place, or from the "primordial goo" that contained simple single-cell organisms which evolved and became more complex over time.<br /> <br /> To ask "if evolution is real, then why aren't all of the monkeys or apes humans now" is like asking why isn't every single bird the same, why isn't every snake the same, why are there dolphins and whales and not a converged, singular species. Evolution is not an all-encompassing process where every single member of the original species participates. Wolves and dogs are a good example. We still have wolves because not all of them followed the same course as the original wolves who decided to live alongside man and become companions rather than wild animals. You might as well ask why there are still wolves and they haven't all become dogs.<br /> <br /> Look at chimpanzees and bonobos, for example. To me, they are two sides of our own primal human nature. Chimps are, by nature, violent creatures with violent societies ruled by males. Bonobos, on the other hand, are extremely peaceful animals ruled by females. We share at least 98% of our genetic code with these animals. That's only a 2% difference, and that 2% took millions of years to develop.<br /> <br /> The biggest tools of our success are our brains, and our thumbs. The ability to close our hands into fists and work delicately with all five fingers for the best amount of dexterity has enabled us to write music, perform music, create art, type on our keyboards, etc. etc. No other animal has developed our level of dexterity in their hands. Our brains, and our thumbs. Other animals have just about every other advantage over us. Fur to keep warm, claws and sharp teeth, thick skin, or even armored scales, the ability to hibernate, etc. Some insects are able to allow themselves to be frozen during winter, and when the weather warms up they thaw and resume life as usual. The animal kingdom is miraculous and complex, and -all- of it shares the same blueprint as we humans.<br /> <br /> I am far more astounded, amazed, and impressed with the facts science reveals, than the tall tales religions come up with to explain things their originators didn't understand. They didn't have access to the technology and knowledge that we do today.<br /> <br /> Human beings are not set so far apart from the rest of the animal kingdom as you think. We are -interwoven- with it, and we are animals like all the others. There are many physical differences between a tiger and a dog, but they're still in the animal kingdom, and the same goes for us.<br /> <br />

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"i think a dolphins intelligence is closer to other mammals than it is people."<br /> <br /> Humans are mammals.<br /> <br /> Also, we aren't even unique in H. sapiens. Humans as we know them, today, are a subspecies. We're Homo sapiens sapiens. There used to be other subspecies. The first one I can remember off the top of my head is Homo sapiens idaltu.<br /> <a href="http://www.wadsworth.com/anthropology_d/special_features/ext/latest_dirt/ethiopia.html">Here is a webpage with some information,</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens_idaltu">here is a wiki article.</a><br /> <br /> Trees and the sky do not have instincts. Trees and the sky are not animals. I genuinely don't even know how to begin to address this because it's one of the more bizarre things I've ever heard.<br /> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky<br /> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree<br /> http://www.answers.com/topic/instinct<br /> <br /> All of that aside, I don't believe humans to be animals. Given hard evidence and straight facts, I <i>know</i> humans to be animals.<br /> <br /> I'm also glad to see more and more people accepting the idea of non-human persons. Dolphins, elephants, and the other great apes, certainly. And, I think, personally, some birds. We have a lot to learn about other animal species besides ourselves, though, I can see this being extended.<br /> <br /> And those groups I mentioned can generally communicate pretty well with us. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmuu8UEi2ko">Extremely well, in some cases.</a> That video is obviously a bit outdated, but still entirely relevant.

Well, good for you, you know how to complete ignore facts and proven data. Seriously, give me facts here. WHY are we special snowflakes? Because we have advanced language? So do dolphins! Because we use tools? So do many great apes! And those six characteristics were just for the general animal kingdom. Getting us all the way down to mammals, and eventually primates involves seperating many more characteristics that we DO have. Such as a vertebra, which puts us in that kingdom, separate it down to mammals puts out many more qualities. All of which WE HAVE. Science. It's a wonder, ain't it?

i think the fact that there are more differences between humans and animals is more important than the similarities. i think we are special snowflakes ^u^ i just cant see humans as anything other a dependent kingdom.

Because we aren't all special snowflakes in the scheme of things. We are only this intelligent because we evolved with our intelligent and creative minds as adaptation, since we had no thick fur, or sharp teeth and claws, so we needed to become smarter than the average animal.<br /> <br /> Also, if you think that, you haven't researched dolphins. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6973994.ece<br /> Go there, it explains why dolphins are closer to humans than you think. Also, I know this isn't about evolution, but look at bone structures of animals. Humans, bats, cats and whales all have incredibly similar bone structures in a way. You can't say humans are too smart to be animals when all facts prove that WE ARE animals. Saying that the sky is yellow with purple polka dots doesn't make it true. Just like saying humans aren't animals doesn't make it true. Here's the thing: I have facts. You have provided none. Were this a formal debate, I would have won simply because of that.