There's a popular notion that the defining characteristic of human beings is high intelligence...

[Boojatta]

but isn't it possible that human intelligence is only slightly higher than that of some other animals, and that what really distinguishes human beings is a very high level of patience, and a willingness to persist at monotonous tasks?

Before agriculture, human beings acquired food much like other omnivores, with the key difference being the use of tools. However, using primitive tools isn't very impressive if the main purpose of the tools is to do what other animals can do without tools. Other omnivores don't need tools to hunt or fish, but human beings do need them.

For most of the time that human beings have existed, they didn't practice agriculture. Then, for thousands of years, agriculture was practiced without much research or development.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I'd give credit to our species for "persistence", but not for "patience".

And I think maybe the distinguishing characteristic, more than intelligence, may well be "judgment".



;patriot:

[RZM]

2. Complex language is very important here

It very well may be what enabled us to triumph over the other humanoid species (some of which were far more physically powerful) and to spread outside of Africa. Also, plenty of animals engage in very monotonous tasks - such as that arctic seal that spends the whole winter cutting holes in the ice. Also some apes do use tools (though I don't think they make them).

[provis99]

11. Whale songs are at least as complex as human speech.

[Dr Morbius]

3. I believe animal intelligence has been underestimated.

The ability to kill at a distance, though, is something one should consider as a primary evolutionary advance. Many animals can kill, some coming at you from pretty much out of nowhere at amazing speeds. However, the ability to kill from a safe distance is something I very much doubt many other species possess, and combined with intelligence makes humans too deadly for other species.

What lends one species the ability to conquer all others? It's the ability to kill anything. Not more complicated than that, I'm afraid.

[Cetacea]

13. Dolphins can kill at a distance with sonar.

[CrispyQ]

4. I think our defining characteristic is our ability to rationalize & justify our heinous behavior --

toward each other & the other species we share inhabit this planet with.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

5. And when we know that some actions are harmful to us as

a species, we continue them anyway. High intelligence?

[Oregone]

6. High intelligence is an evolutionary side effect of our defining homicidal nature

Man's lust for blood has created a hyper-evolutionary killing field which promoted the traits of intelligence, strength, guile and agility in each subsequent generation. Only the strongest and most cunning were able to avoid death and kill efficiently enough to advance their gene pool. Its our ability to kill ourselves, for fun or otherwise, that sets humans apart

[hobbit709]

7. The human race has survived despite itself.

[JuniperLea]

8. Thumbs...

That's all we got.

:)

[ProgressiveVictory]

9. our thought process

[laruemtt]

10. is there any other species

that destroys the environment it needs to survive? i'm more apt to believe that homo sapiens rank very low on the "intelligence" scale.

[depakid]

12. Said to me by a biology prof many years ago:

Animals are as smart as they need to be to exploit their niche.

[Boojatta]

14. Kick to encourage comments, questions, etc.