How we get around

We seem to be the only fully adapted bipedal mammal on the planet. There are other bipedal mammals like kangaroos but they definitely don’t get around like we do. Even though we are fully bipedal it seems that we are not 100% adapted to it because as we age our pelvis and spine become weak and tend to wear out. This causes trouble with ambulation old age.

Hair and Skin

There are few animals on the planet that even come close to having the range of varying hair and skin colors that humans do. The majority of humans have black hair but the colors can range from all types of blondes and browns to an orange/red color. Our skin can be completely white to very dark brown. The majority of researchers believe that darker skin was a form of adaptation to defend the body from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Diet

Like most mammals, prolonged starvation and dehydration lead to death. We are unfortunately the most unhealthy and fat animals on the planet. Obesity in our species has become a serious epidemic. An awful amount of people die from obesity related health problems each year and the numbers are growing. Well over half the population of the United States has been declared obese.

Birth

Our human birth is similar to most placental animals except for one thing. Human labor is often long, painful, complicated and it can sometimes cause injury and even death to the mother and/or baby.

Stages of life

The stages we go through in our lives are very pivotal and easily categorized by appearance. We start out as an infant and progress through as a toddler, child, preteen, adolescent, young adult, mature adult, and then we are just old. It is very easy to guess the age of a human within a couple years just by looking at them. Most animals we see are not so easily categorized by appearance alone. Someone would need to take a closer look to assess the age of most other animals.

Brain size

Our human brain is said to be about 6 times larger than most other animals. Although bigger is not always better in the case of the brain, we are obviously among the most intelligent species. Our brain also sets us apart from our primate relatives being about twice the size of their brains.

Intellect

Humans are one of only six species in the world that pass what is called the mirror test. Which is a test to see if an animal can look in a mirror and recognize it’s own reflection. The other five animals are dolphins, chimpanzees, pigeons, bonobos, and orangutans. Our technology and understanding of things seems to far surpass that of any other animal on the planet. Even humans of ancient times possessed tools more advanced than any other animals have even attempted to create.

Communication

There is definitely no other animal that communicates in such a complex and diverse manner as humans do. There are currently almost 7,000 languages, including sign languages, in use today. Language is the primary communication tool that humans use but we also use writing, body language, and hand signs. Most animals use body language to communicate along with distinct sounds. Also, language usually only differs among different species as they may only be capable of vocalizing certain distinct sounds according to what type of animal they are. Our species strangely has come up with different languages and dialects according to what area you live in.

Culture and Religion

It seems as though we are the only species who have developed cultures and belief systems to put ourselves into groups according to the way we live our lives and think. We use our culture and religion to tell our history. No other animals seem to be concerned with keeping tabs on their lives and the lives of all others.

Thinking process

Our thinking process is so strange and barely understandable. We have yet to scientifically explain whether or not we have a separate spirit or soul that translates with our physical bodies. There are many aspects of human thought process that cannot be explained with 100% certainty. We seem to be ruled by a set of fundamental questions in life including, “where do we come from?” and “what is the meaning of life?” Again, other animals do not seem to be plagued by those thoughts. It seems that these questions often bring about much of the abundant stress we experience as humans.

Consciousness

The root of the human consciousness is widely debated in philosophy. It is very hard to define human consciousness in any particular way. Many descriptions involve perceptions and thoughts, self-awareness, moods and emotions, the senses and even our dreams. It is safe to say that human consciousness is definitely more evolved and expressed than any other animal.

Dominance

We humans seem to be very distinctly arrogant with our dominance habits. We unfortunately tend to destroy that which is dear to our planet to create superficial and material objects to please ourselves. In this process we also manage to cause various plants and animals to go extinct. We breed and kill animals to provide food, clothing, labor, sport and company without giving them any choice in the matter. We see ourselves as superior and separate from all other life forms on our planet and sometimes even in our universe! The cause of our dominant behavior may stem from being a frail and almost defenseless species. We, unlike most other animals, do not have an immediate defense system, for example many mammals have claws or fangs, and other animals have stingers or emit poisons to defend themselves against predators. Maybe it is in the mind somewhere that we must act radically dominant to defend ourselves.