I don't have strict definitions on these terms, and I would like them to be open to your own personal interpretation. Hopefully this won't get into a semantic game...
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
I have other follow-up questions, but I don't want to confuse the main points too much at the outset.
Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
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Xanadu Moo
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Post #2
XanaduMoo wrote:
1. "Advanced" means "better suited to one's environmental niche." Intelligence has little to do with it - or at least, intelligence as measured by humans. For example, dinosaurs were extremely successful despite their tiny brains - "ruling the earth" for 150 million years.
2. I don't know what you mean by "how far ahead". If you mean how much more intelligent - we have lots more "human" intelligence than any other species. But I can imagine a cat saying "they can't see in the dark", or a chimp snorting that we don't know how to climb a tree. Intelligence happens to be our primary survival tool.
5. Without intelligence, we are pretty helpless. Slow of foot, relatively weak, no built-in weapons like claws or teeth, very slow to reach physical or sexual maturity. We have developed a social structure so as not to have to survive as solitary individuals. This is not unique among animals.
6. About a gajillion
7. As I mentioned above, we more than most other species really, really, need our brains to survive. Other animals who are more physically adapted have not had to select for intelligence.
Other questions of yours, I don't know how to answer.
Wow! Talk about a big set of questions! I will state at the beginning, since it makes a difference, that I believe that humans are the result of progressive evolution. A creationist will have a different set of answers.1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
1. "Advanced" means "better suited to one's environmental niche." Intelligence has little to do with it - or at least, intelligence as measured by humans. For example, dinosaurs were extremely successful despite their tiny brains - "ruling the earth" for 150 million years.
2. I don't know what you mean by "how far ahead". If you mean how much more intelligent - we have lots more "human" intelligence than any other species. But I can imagine a cat saying "they can't see in the dark", or a chimp snorting that we don't know how to climb a tree. Intelligence happens to be our primary survival tool.
5. Without intelligence, we are pretty helpless. Slow of foot, relatively weak, no built-in weapons like claws or teeth, very slow to reach physical or sexual maturity. We have developed a social structure so as not to have to survive as solitary individuals. This is not unique among animals.
6. About a gajillion
7. As I mentioned above, we more than most other species really, really, need our brains to survive. Other animals who are more physically adapted have not had to select for intelligence.
Other questions of yours, I don't know how to answer.
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
Post #3
I look at the relative "advancement" or "degree of evolution" of an organism in the context of its ecological niche. A dandelion is tremendously advanced, in terms of rapid reproduction, the ability to send its kids out into the world to make their fortunes, its ability to live in just about any location, and its ability to live on simple chemicals from the soil, water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight.
We can't do any of these things, so we must be way down there on the advanced/backward scale.
Every species would, if it could, see itself as the pinnacle of evolutionary success. All the others are "might-have-beens" that show aspects of sloppy design, or failure to achieve certain important functional characteristics, or just had bad luck and followed a dead-end evolutionary path. I'm sure that the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park looks down on those silly, short-lived two-legged things that come up and ooh and ahhh at him, and he thinks, "poor things."
And how intelligent are we, anyway? Most animals know not to soil their nests. Yet, we are happily spewing out pollutants of all kinds into our global nest--and even passing laws to *increase* the rate at which we do so. I think I'll be a dandelion next time around.
We can't do any of these things, so we must be way down there on the advanced/backward scale.
Every species would, if it could, see itself as the pinnacle of evolutionary success. All the others are "might-have-beens" that show aspects of sloppy design, or failure to achieve certain important functional characteristics, or just had bad luck and followed a dead-end evolutionary path. I'm sure that the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park looks down on those silly, short-lived two-legged things that come up and ooh and ahhh at him, and he thinks, "poor things."
And how intelligent are we, anyway? Most animals know not to soil their nests. Yet, we are happily spewing out pollutants of all kinds into our global nest--and even passing laws to *increase* the rate at which we do so. I think I'll be a dandelion next time around.
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #4perfessor has much the same answers I do.
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
It depends on what you are measuring. As humans, we tend to think that human traits are the measurement, such as altering one's environment, producing artistic works, and exploration for the sake of learning. The type of intelligence humans have is unique among species, if only because we can override instinct with reason. The word "advanced" is tricky. It is highly likely that there are plenty of other species on the planet that have evolved since we did. But since we are the only species we know of that talks about such things, we see ourselves as the most advanced.
However, each species would have its own measurement for how advanced it is. We might be able to determine who evolved from whom through DNA studies, but that does not imply "advancement".
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
This is really an unfair question. It's very probable that Humans haven't changed much since complex systems of language were invented. Our "advancement" during this time (or from this perspective) has largely to do with adaptive and learned behaviors. No one was building cities before the learned methods of agriculture and oral language was introduced. Our intellectual capabilities have not changed, but the stuff that fills our minds has changed. We pile idea upon idea, integrating each for our own purposes throughout our lives and throughout history. The fact that we can think the same thoughts as Herodotus and Spinoza because of the way linear time works on our history, shows how we can advance ourselves intellectually without the need for physical change. The fact that we have the ability to accrue this much intellectual knowledge is astounding.
By that measurement, we are far and away the most advanced species on the planet. This is not to say that there isn't learning among other animals. Orangutans are not born with the innate ability to use a stripped twig to retrieve ants from a tree, they must be shown this behavior in order for it to develop. At some point in the anthropology of orangutans, this happened, and it has effectively become an oral tradition among those individuals that practice this. There are other examples of cultural differences among groups of orangutans. (link leads to a Google HTML-ized PDF file -- note: some of these behaviors are sexual in nature)
Quantifying this, however, is difficult if not impossible if only because there is no way to measure. I don't think there is a unit of advancement that we can accurately use, like using the difference between human and an orangutan (H-O measure) to say that the difference between a dolphin and a sea lion is equal to 1/4 of the H-O measure. I don't know that defining this kind of measurement really means anything.
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
I don't think that this type of graphing could be possible. Each species has learned adaptations that are commensurate with their experiences. Red-winged blackbirds will stop eating orange-and-black patterned butterflies after getting the bad taste of just one. Is this any more or less advanced than any other learned behavior? We tend to favor the behaviors that we can identify with, such as training behaviors in dogs. But different species have different behavior complexes they have the capacity to learn. In my opinion, the measurement of the differences in these behavior complexes is not possible.
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
A combination of intellect (cognitive reasoning, long-term memory, contextual learning, pattern recognition, etc.) and physiology. Our bodies are built for working with tools, and our minds are built for perpetually creating new and better tools.
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
In order to maintain a strange and vitally important appendage such as the hand, you need the ability to take care of it -- predict in what situations it might become damaged so that you can use it again. This isn't just the pain-avoidance reaction that might be seen in many other animals. We have to think about how to use it carefully.
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
A lot. I would think this is a disputed number somewhere in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
"Human" in this case I take to mean homo erectus. It's not at all unusual. It makes sense from the perspective of natural selection. This is the human niche, to alter the environment around us to make it more livable for us. If other species could have done so before us, they would have.
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
Without viable measurement criteria, this question cannot be answered.
ed: clarity of answer 6)
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
It depends on what you are measuring. As humans, we tend to think that human traits are the measurement, such as altering one's environment, producing artistic works, and exploration for the sake of learning. The type of intelligence humans have is unique among species, if only because we can override instinct with reason. The word "advanced" is tricky. It is highly likely that there are plenty of other species on the planet that have evolved since we did. But since we are the only species we know of that talks about such things, we see ourselves as the most advanced.
However, each species would have its own measurement for how advanced it is. We might be able to determine who evolved from whom through DNA studies, but that does not imply "advancement".
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
This is really an unfair question. It's very probable that Humans haven't changed much since complex systems of language were invented. Our "advancement" during this time (or from this perspective) has largely to do with adaptive and learned behaviors. No one was building cities before the learned methods of agriculture and oral language was introduced. Our intellectual capabilities have not changed, but the stuff that fills our minds has changed. We pile idea upon idea, integrating each for our own purposes throughout our lives and throughout history. The fact that we can think the same thoughts as Herodotus and Spinoza because of the way linear time works on our history, shows how we can advance ourselves intellectually without the need for physical change. The fact that we have the ability to accrue this much intellectual knowledge is astounding.
By that measurement, we are far and away the most advanced species on the planet. This is not to say that there isn't learning among other animals. Orangutans are not born with the innate ability to use a stripped twig to retrieve ants from a tree, they must be shown this behavior in order for it to develop. At some point in the anthropology of orangutans, this happened, and it has effectively become an oral tradition among those individuals that practice this. There are other examples of cultural differences among groups of orangutans. (link leads to a Google HTML-ized PDF file -- note: some of these behaviors are sexual in nature)
Quantifying this, however, is difficult if not impossible if only because there is no way to measure. I don't think there is a unit of advancement that we can accurately use, like using the difference between human and an orangutan (H-O measure) to say that the difference between a dolphin and a sea lion is equal to 1/4 of the H-O measure. I don't know that defining this kind of measurement really means anything.
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
I don't think that this type of graphing could be possible. Each species has learned adaptations that are commensurate with their experiences. Red-winged blackbirds will stop eating orange-and-black patterned butterflies after getting the bad taste of just one. Is this any more or less advanced than any other learned behavior? We tend to favor the behaviors that we can identify with, such as training behaviors in dogs. But different species have different behavior complexes they have the capacity to learn. In my opinion, the measurement of the differences in these behavior complexes is not possible.
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
A combination of intellect (cognitive reasoning, long-term memory, contextual learning, pattern recognition, etc.) and physiology. Our bodies are built for working with tools, and our minds are built for perpetually creating new and better tools.
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
In order to maintain a strange and vitally important appendage such as the hand, you need the ability to take care of it -- predict in what situations it might become damaged so that you can use it again. This isn't just the pain-avoidance reaction that might be seen in many other animals. We have to think about how to use it carefully.
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
A lot. I would think this is a disputed number somewhere in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
"Human" in this case I take to mean homo erectus. It's not at all unusual. It makes sense from the perspective of natural selection. This is the human niche, to alter the environment around us to make it more livable for us. If other species could have done so before us, they would have.
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
Without viable measurement criteria, this question cannot be answered.
ed: clarity of answer 6)
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #5What a thoroughly awesome question!!!
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
This is such a hard thing to guage: whatever we as humans are optimised for, that's what we're going to tend to think of as most important...
To quote the great sage Douglas Adams:
1) The degree to which one can understand their surroundings and themself
2) The range of circumstances in which one can thrive
3) The degree to which one can modify one's surroundings and self
4) The ability to use 1-3 with beneficence and foresight
(there's more, but that's a good start)
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
Of course interspecies understanding & communication give a huge barrier here, but it seems like we excell at 1 and 3 to an incredible degree, and at 2 via 1 and 3 (we make tools, we change our environment, thus we can adapt to situations non-biologically)
I think we excell at 4 as well, in terms of ability. Whether or not we'll move towards fulfilling our ability to act based on beneficent foresight is another thing. (I have great hope we will)
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
The more I think about it, the more I think we're probably several orders of magnitude more advanced overall in the mentioned areas than the life forms we've classified. I'm open to the possibility of higher beings (either more advanced DNA based life-forms or beings of an entirely different type) operating in the universe and on Earth which we are generally unaware of. Those of course might be orders of magnitude more advanced than us.
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
For the aspects I mentioned:
Aspect 1: A large brain, symbolic thought, language, curiosity, and logic.
Aspect 2: Aspects 1 and 3
Aspect 3: Aspect 1
Aspect 4: Our origins as a communal animal. How this could lead to benificence is elegantly explored in Matt Ridley's The Origins of Virtue and Robert Wright's Nonzero. Long story.
On top of these, I believe spiritual experiences have a great deal to do with 4 (if not 1-4). I don't presume to understand what facilitates spiritual experiences, nor whether other animals have analogous experiences. Whether these experiences are treated via a reductivist & naturalistic approach or an inherently spiritual one, their occurence has had a huge impact on human development, both as a species and for individuals.
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
See above.
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
A whole bunch. And I would hazard a vast number of unknown species as well.
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
I'm not sure we're at the top of the advancement food chain, though we certainly seem to be of the beings we have accepted scientific evidence for. I don't think it's necessarily unusual. One scenario:
If humans function as parts of a larger whole which may in itself be sentient (I won't rant too much on this hypothesis here, but I think it has a lot going for it), it stands to reason that that whole would exhibit differentiation in the same way the human body does. Analogously, it doesn't seem unusual that no other functional part of the human body is as sensitive to light as the rods and cones, since light sensitivity is the functional role they play within the body.
Did that make sense? I can never tell...
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
Absolutely. Two possible scenarios strike me:
1) We mess up majorly (be it global nuclear warfare, levels of pollution we can't adapt to, or something else entirely), and some other species takes over. Which species it would be would depend on what the scenario was. I've seen some interesting arguments made for Cockroaches, Monkeys, Bees ...
2) Via co-operative symbiosis (sounds redundant but isn't: parasites are symbiotes too), we (or some other species) help a species achieve the necessary tools for rapid advancement, be it by genetic modification, change in the environment, or some other factor (we'd have to get WAY better at aspect 4 for that to happen I think...)
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
This is such a hard thing to guage: whatever we as humans are optimised for, that's what we're going to tend to think of as most important...
To quote the great sage Douglas Adams:
My reader's digest answer would be:Humans think they they are the smartest animal... because of the things that he has done: built guns, giant cities like New York and war, while dolphins happily muck about in the ocean. Conversly, dolphins think they are the smartest for the exact same reason.
1) The degree to which one can understand their surroundings and themself
2) The range of circumstances in which one can thrive
3) The degree to which one can modify one's surroundings and self
4) The ability to use 1-3 with beneficence and foresight
(there's more, but that's a good start)
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
Of course interspecies understanding & communication give a huge barrier here, but it seems like we excell at 1 and 3 to an incredible degree, and at 2 via 1 and 3 (we make tools, we change our environment, thus we can adapt to situations non-biologically)
I think we excell at 4 as well, in terms of ability. Whether or not we'll move towards fulfilling our ability to act based on beneficent foresight is another thing. (I have great hope we will)
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
The more I think about it, the more I think we're probably several orders of magnitude more advanced overall in the mentioned areas than the life forms we've classified. I'm open to the possibility of higher beings (either more advanced DNA based life-forms or beings of an entirely different type) operating in the universe and on Earth which we are generally unaware of. Those of course might be orders of magnitude more advanced than us.
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
For the aspects I mentioned:
Aspect 1: A large brain, symbolic thought, language, curiosity, and logic.
Aspect 2: Aspects 1 and 3
Aspect 3: Aspect 1
Aspect 4: Our origins as a communal animal. How this could lead to benificence is elegantly explored in Matt Ridley's The Origins of Virtue and Robert Wright's Nonzero. Long story.
On top of these, I believe spiritual experiences have a great deal to do with 4 (if not 1-4). I don't presume to understand what facilitates spiritual experiences, nor whether other animals have analogous experiences. Whether these experiences are treated via a reductivist & naturalistic approach or an inherently spiritual one, their occurence has had a huge impact on human development, both as a species and for individuals.
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
See above.
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
A whole bunch. And I would hazard a vast number of unknown species as well.
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
I'm not sure we're at the top of the advancement food chain, though we certainly seem to be of the beings we have accepted scientific evidence for. I don't think it's necessarily unusual. One scenario:
If humans function as parts of a larger whole which may in itself be sentient (I won't rant too much on this hypothesis here, but I think it has a lot going for it), it stands to reason that that whole would exhibit differentiation in the same way the human body does. Analogously, it doesn't seem unusual that no other functional part of the human body is as sensitive to light as the rods and cones, since light sensitivity is the functional role they play within the body.
Did that make sense? I can never tell...
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
Absolutely. Two possible scenarios strike me:
1) We mess up majorly (be it global nuclear warfare, levels of pollution we can't adapt to, or something else entirely), and some other species takes over. Which species it would be would depend on what the scenario was. I've seen some interesting arguments made for Cockroaches, Monkeys, Bees ...
2) Via co-operative symbiosis (sounds redundant but isn't: parasites are symbiotes too), we (or some other species) help a species achieve the necessary tools for rapid advancement, be it by genetic modification, change in the environment, or some other factor (we'd have to get WAY better at aspect 4 for that to happen I think...)
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #6I'll answer this from a strictly selectionist point of view, so I'm not sure how well my opinions will be taken here. Take this post as you may.
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
Evolutionary fitness, i.e., the ability to out-compete other evolutionary individuals (i.e., organisms, groups, species, etc.), and the ability to live within an environment. The ability to change is also important, but only if the environment changes. I would also consider speciation (i.e., the branching of one species into many others) as a factor of evolutionary success.
Note that I don't consider intelligence as a factor of advanced species. Intelligent organisms have fallen victim to less intelligent ones in evolutionary competition. Fitness is the primary factor.
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
From a strictly evolutionary standpoint, the human species is not the "king of the hill". For example, humans are more evolutionarily fit in that they able to populate many different habitats. But as a species, they are arguably less advanced than the real successes of mammalian development: the rats, bats, and antelopes. There are many different species of rats, bats, and antelopes for many different modes of life, but only one human species for one mode. If viewed from a speciation standpoint, humans lag far behind virtually all other clades.
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
That's difficult to say. Judging by my above factors, I'm not sure if I would even consider humans in the top 1000 species. Think of the thousands of species that have developed an arguably perfect form and have stayed that way for millennia: bacteria, sharks, rats, insects, grass, etc.
Humans are smart, but intelligence is only one adaptation. Other adaptations could be viewed as equally advanced.
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
Intelligence is the primary factor of differentiation.
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
Humans put "all their eggs in one basket" in that they rely solely on their brain for survival. A large percentage of our calories is used to keep the brain going (I believe it may be as high as 40%).
Physically, we deteriorated with the advancement of our brains. We weren't as strong or as fast or as nimble, because we had brains that we used to develop "work arounds" for our survival problems.
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
Of living animals, roughly 1.5 million multi-cellular animals have been found. I'm not sure about plants, but a conservative estimate would be the same: 1.5 million. Other forms of life (protistans, bacteria, etc.) would dramatically increase that number. And life today represents only about 1% of all life that has ever existed on Earth. So, I would estimate roughly 500 million to one billion species in all of life's history.
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
As I and other posters have claimed, terms of advancement are relative.
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
Absolutely. Any situation in which the environment changes to favor one species over another could usurp the top species. Global warming could certainly cause a major upheaval in nature.
1. What aspects entail being a more advanced species?
Evolutionary fitness, i.e., the ability to out-compete other evolutionary individuals (i.e., organisms, groups, species, etc.), and the ability to live within an environment. The ability to change is also important, but only if the environment changes. I would also consider speciation (i.e., the branching of one species into many others) as a factor of evolutionary success.
Note that I don't consider intelligence as a factor of advanced species. Intelligent organisms have fallen victim to less intelligent ones in evolutionary competition. Fitness is the primary factor.
2. How far ahead are humans from all the rest of the species on earth, combining all these aspects?
From a strictly evolutionary standpoint, the human species is not the "king of the hill". For example, humans are more evolutionarily fit in that they able to populate many different habitats. But as a species, they are arguably less advanced than the real successes of mammalian development: the rats, bats, and antelopes. There are many different species of rats, bats, and antelopes for many different modes of life, but only one human species for one mode. If viewed from a speciation standpoint, humans lag far behind virtually all other clades.
3. If we were to graph the relative levels of advancement among the 1000 most advanced species other than humans, how would they compare with one another? How would those differences compare to the difference between humans and the 2nd most advanced species?
That's difficult to say. Judging by my above factors, I'm not sure if I would even consider humans in the top 1000 species. Think of the thousands of species that have developed an arguably perfect form and have stayed that way for millennia: bacteria, sharks, rats, insects, grass, etc.
Humans are smart, but intelligence is only one adaptation. Other adaptations could be viewed as equally advanced.
4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
Intelligence is the primary factor of differentiation.
5. Are humans highly advanced in other aspects besides intelligence? If so or if not, how did other aspects evolve in conjunction with intelligence?
Humans put "all their eggs in one basket" in that they rely solely on their brain for survival. A large percentage of our calories is used to keep the brain going (I believe it may be as high as 40%).
Physically, we deteriorated with the advancement of our brains. We weren't as strong or as fast or as nimble, because we had brains that we used to develop "work arounds" for our survival problems.
6. How many known species have there been on earth?
Of living animals, roughly 1.5 million multi-cellular animals have been found. I'm not sure about plants, but a conservative estimate would be the same: 1.5 million. Other forms of life (protistans, bacteria, etc.) would dramatically increase that number. And life today represents only about 1% of all life that has ever existed on Earth. So, I would estimate roughly 500 million to one billion species in all of life's history.
7. Would it seem unusual that out of all the species, only one would advance anywhere near the extent of humans?
As I and other posters have claimed, terms of advancement are relative.
8. Do you see any feasible scenarios of some of the top species advancing past others in the future, and if so, what are they?
Absolutely. Any situation in which the environment changes to favor one species over another could usurp the top species. Global warming could certainly cause a major upheaval in nature.
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #7Hi Xanadu...
I'm on budgeted time right now, so I'll address just one of your questions:
Many of the aspects that we often associate with humanity can be observed in other species: many mammals are highly social; a great number of them teach skills to their young, etc. It is strongly suspected that whales, for example, have music; er, organized, metered tones, and these "songs" evolve and are passed down generationally. Also inherent in the human ability to externally store data is our ability to prevent other species from doing the same...
Regards,
mrmufin
I'm on budgeted time right now, so I'll address just one of your questions:
I'll borrow an idea from Carl Sagan's Dragons of Eden to answer this question. I think that the ability to store information externally has been enormously advantageous to humans. From drawings on cave walls to language development to music to mathematics, the human ability to record data in some coherent manner outside of the body appears to be one key unique attribute to our rapid advancement. While strong signs of intelligence are observeable in other species, particular the mammalian species, humans have mastered the capacity to write it all down. Thus, each new generation can be exposed to the teachings of prior generations and add their newly acquired knowledge. This generational Cartesian influx of knowledge has got to have enormous survival advantages.Xanadu Moo wrote:4. What has caused/enabled humans to separate themselves from the pack to such a significant degree?
Many of the aspects that we often associate with humanity can be observed in other species: many mammals are highly social; a great number of them teach skills to their young, etc. It is strongly suspected that whales, for example, have music; er, organized, metered tones, and these "songs" evolve and are passed down generationally. Also inherent in the human ability to externally store data is our ability to prevent other species from doing the same...
Regards,
mrmufin
Historically, bad science has been corrected by better science, not economists, clergy, or corporate interference.
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #8While I agree that storing data externally is a good thing to do, it's not unique to humans. I think the key thing for humans is that there is a way to reorganize the data that has been stored externally in order to make new information.mrmufin wrote:I'll borrow an idea from Carl Sagan's Dragons of Eden to answer this question. I think that the ability to store information externally has been enormously advantageous to humans. From drawings on cave walls to language development to music to mathematics, the human ability to record data in some coherent manner outside of the body appears to be one key unique attribute to our rapid advancement.
Many species "mark" their territory, which could be construed as external data storage. Such "marks" contain valuable information about the marker to any would-be trespassers or passers-though, such as the relative dominant strength of the marking party, family membership, and the degree to which the territory will be defended. It could also be argued that nest-building is external data storage if it is done for display purposes, such as with the bowerbird. Small point, I know, but worth the discussion, I think.
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #9That's a very good point, indeed. My mention of "whale music" was to that point, in a roundabout sort of way. That their "songs" are apparently passed on generationally, as opposed to scored and/or recorded in some medium which requires an interpretation. Now if Bach, for example, had only been able to pass the Brandenburg Concertos on via performance there would be a necessary human link over all the generations since him. Instead, he could chart the music, stash it in a closet, and a few hundred years later, those of us who can read music can be pretty confident that we're interpreting Bach's scores accurately. Now if the whales had the ability to refer to a score created by other whales a thousand years ago...ST88 wrote:While I agree that storing data externally is a good thing to do, it's not unique to humans. I think the key thing for humans is that there is a way to reorganize the data that has been stored externally in order to make new information.mrmufin wrote:I'll borrow an idea from Carl Sagan's Dragons of Eden to answer this question. I think that the ability to store information externally has been enormously advantageous to humans. From drawings on cave walls to language development to music to mathematics, the human ability to record data in some coherent manner outside of the body appears to be one key unique attribute to our rapid advancement.
Again, a good point. I'll admit that the line gets a bit fuzzy between the human capacity to evaluate the externally stored data and the abilities in other species to do the same, but the human species, I think, has taken those abilities far beyond anything seen in other species. When considering the human toolkit for creating and storing information externally: languages, mathematics, our ability to discern the appropriate context of words that may have multiple meanings in a given language, I'd suspect that humans are far ahead of other species. I'll make a concession on a strict interpretation of my original statement, but I think I'm on the right track....ST88 wrote:Many species "mark" their territory, which could be construed as external data storage. Such "marks" contain valuable information about the marker to any would-be trespassers or passers-though, such as the relative dominant strength of the marking party, family membership, and the degree to which the territory will be defended. It could also be argued that nest-building is external data storage if it is done for display purposes, such as with the bowerbird. Small point, I know, but worth the discussion, I think.
Regards,
mrmufin
Re: Why Are Humans So Advanced Among Species?
Post #10Yeah, I think you're right. It has been shown that birds, cats, dogs, and other animals can use contextual language and "word ideas" to communicate fairly complex concepts (in terms of birds, cats, and dogs), but their lexicon is a good deal smaller than ours. It is also interesting that it has never been shown (I don't think) that a member of a given family of animals has never been able to respond appropriately to the spoken language of a member of another family of animals (dogs to cats, bears to raccoons, dolphins to sea lions) -- except humans. I think the most sophisticated it gets is responding with fear (or disdain, as happens with my cat) to loud growling or trumpeting noises.mrmufin wrote:I'll admit that the line gets a bit fuzzy between the human capacity to evaluate the externally stored data and the abilities in other species to do the same, but the human species, I think, has taken those abilities far beyond anything seen in other species. When considering the human toolkit for creating and storing information externally: languages, mathematics, our ability to discern the appropriate context of words that may have multiple meanings in a given language, I'd suspect that humans are far ahead of other species. I'll make a concession on a strict interpretation of my original statement, but I think I'm on the right track....
