The animal kingdom: Man vs Animal

[Confused]

In the thread "Your beliefs", the author posed the following:

The thing that sets human beings apart from animals is control.

I don't know that I would agree with that. Since man is known to lose control under certain cirumstances and resort back to "animalistic instincts" to protect themselves, their home, their family etc.... I can't really agree with it. So the issue for debate:

Besides the obvious physical characteristics and abilities:

What separates man from animal? What makes the actions humans do so different from those of an animal? I guess what I am searching for is what distinctive traits do humans possess than animals don't?

[Confused]

Well nature is odd as it is, it seems to know whats happening next no matter what. Ex. the oxygen revolution, as oxygen filled the air animals moved onto land and grew larger. Meteor hits the earth and life still went on. So why think of humans as out of the animal system. We do manipulate the rules though and this is what makes us Mankind. I think that if we want to define man as something other than just an animal the traits would be religion/philosophy, science, and writing. Anyways enough of the little comments here is the main point I wanted to bring up.

Life exsists without cognition. How does anything operate without thought? Like to us or any mammal at that mating involves some form of ritual and choices (thus thoughts), but to something like a jellyfish what is telling it to mate?

Yes, life may exist without cognition, but higher life forms possess such cognition. A mother elephant morns the death of her infant, common elephant graveyards exist, a bear will attack anything that endangers its cub while lower forms either nurse their young, then leave them to either live or die and some just simply expect their offspring to survive on their own from day one. Wolves mark their territory with "scent", this could be seen as a form of writing in so much as it serves as a "do not enter" sign.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

What is your point?

[jdeuel3868]

No direct point just wanted to put in my two cents on this topic.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

Dolphins, pigs, and other primates have sex for pleasure. Also some mammals have sex before sexual maturity for some odd reason to.. I really dont know why though.

[Goat]

Well nature is odd as it is, it seems to know whats happening next no matter what. Ex. the oxygen revolution, as oxygen filled the air animals moved onto land and grew larger. Meteor hits the earth and life still went on. So why think of humans as out of the animal system. We do manipulate the rules though and this is what makes us Mankind. I think that if we want to define man as something other than just an animal the traits would be religion/philosophy, science, and writing. Anyways enough of the little comments here is the main point I wanted to bring up.

Life exsists without cognition. How does anything operate without thought? Like to us or any mammal at that mating involves some form of ritual and choices (thus thoughts), but to something like a jellyfish what is telling it to mate?

Yes, life may exist without cognition, but higher life forms possess such cognition. A mother elephant morns the death of her infant, common elephant graveyards exist, a bear will attack anything that endangers its cub while lower forms either nurse their young, then leave them to either live or die and some just simply expect their offspring to survive on their own from day one. Wolves mark their territory with "scent", this could be seen as a form of writing in so much as it serves as a "do not enter" sign.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

What is your point?

I have to point out the Bonobo, who will have sex at the drop of a hat, in practically any gender configuration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo

[Confused]

Well nature is odd as it is, it seems to know whats happening next no matter what. Ex. the oxygen revolution, as oxygen filled the air animals moved onto land and grew larger. Meteor hits the earth and life still went on. So why think of humans as out of the animal system. We do manipulate the rules though and this is what makes us Mankind. I think that if we want to define man as something other than just an animal the traits would be religion/philosophy, science, and writing. Anyways enough of the little comments here is the main point I wanted to bring up.

Life exsists without cognition. How does anything operate without thought? Like to us or any mammal at that mating involves some form of ritual and choices (thus thoughts), but to something like a jellyfish what is telling it to mate?

Yes, life may exist without cognition, but higher life forms possess such cognition. A mother elephant morns the death of her infant, common elephant graveyards exist, a bear will attack anything that endangers its cub while lower forms either nurse their young, then leave them to either live or die and some just simply expect their offspring to survive on their own from day one. Wolves mark their territory with "scent", this could be seen as a form of writing in so much as it serves as a "do not enter" sign.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

What is your point?

I have to point out the Bonobo, who will have sex at the drop of a hat, in practically any gender configuration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo

Only you would know this Goat. You kill me. LOL.

[Cathar1950]

Well nature is odd as it is, it seems to know whats happening next no matter what. Ex. the oxygen revolution, as oxygen filled the air animals moved onto land and grew larger. Meteor hits the earth and life still went on. So why think of humans as out of the animal system. We do manipulate the rules though and this is what makes us Mankind. I think that if we want to define man as something other than just an animal the traits would be religion/philosophy, science, and writing. Anyways enough of the little comments here is the main point I wanted to bring up.

Life exsists without cognition. How does anything operate without thought? Like to us or any mammal at that mating involves some form of ritual and choices (thus thoughts), but to something like a jellyfish what is telling it to mate?

Yes, life may exist without cognition, but higher life forms possess such cognition. A mother elephant morns the death of her infant, common elephant graveyards exist, a bear will attack anything that endangers its cub while lower forms either nurse their young, then leave them to either live or die and some just simply expect their offspring to survive on their own from day one. Wolves mark their territory with "scent", this could be seen as a form of writing in so much as it serves as a "do not enter" sign.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

What is your point?

I have to point out the Bonobo, who will have sex at the drop of a hat, in practically any gender configuration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo

Only you would know this Goat. You kill me. LOL.

I knew it but I didn't want anyone to know.
What about snails? They don't even need another snail and when they run into another snail they get it on and it is ugly.

[Buckeye]

The difference between man and animal

>>>><<<<

This remarkable photograph is something that keepers at Port Lympne thought they would never see.


Until recently this proud mother was totally blind – completely dependant on her keepers for her needs. There was little hope that she would ever see her own hand – let alone her own baby.

Tolkein the six-year-old howler monkey developed cataracts in both eyes as a juvenile.

Eighteen months ago, staff at Port Lympne wildlife park near Hythe, decided to try an operation in an effort to restore her sight.

The procedure was a success and after a period of recuperation she was introduced to Clyde, a male who had recently arrived from Singapore Zoo.

It was literally love at first sight for Tolkein and the pair are now parents of this beautiful, as yet unnamed baby.

Headkeeper Simon Jeffery: “We are all delighted and excited by this birth.

“Tolkein is a kind and gentle character and a real favourite with all of us.

“At just a week old the baby seems strong and healthy and is very interested in its surroundings and so far Tolkein is being a perfect mum.”

Visit Tolkein and her baby at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park.

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/Rar ... t2873.aspx

>>>><<<<

I don't think you'll find blind monkeys alive in the wild.

[Zod]

No direct point just wanted to put in my two cents on this topic.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

Dolphins, pigs, and other primates have sex for pleasure. Also some mammals have sex before sexual maturity for some odd reason to.. I really dont know why though.

But I wonder if they fantasize. LOL I mean cats are into dominant sex.

[Zod]

In the thread "Your beliefs", the author posed the following:

The thing that sets human beings apart from animals is control.

I don't know that I would agree with that. Since man is known to lose control under certain cirumstances and resort back to "animalistic instincts" to protect themselves, their home, their family etc.... I can't really agree with it. So the issue for debate:

Besides the obvious physical characteristics and abilities:

What separates man from animal? What makes the actions humans do so different from those of an animal? I guess what I am searching for is what distinctive traits do humans possess than animals don't?

There is so much that we really don't know, and really thats why we have religion in the first place, to apply a reason to that which we don't know."Why did this happen" reply"God's Will" question answered go on about you business. To say animals have no control a person only need watch a cheeta hunt it's prey. The thing is we call it instinct in animals and control in mankind. We are just an advanced species that has taken control of this planet. Hmm I guess it is about control.

[Cathar1950]

No direct point just wanted to put in my two cents on this topic.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

Dolphins, pigs, and other primates have sex for pleasure. Also some mammals have sex before sexual maturity for some odd reason to.. I really dont know why though.

But I wonder if they fantasize. LOL I mean cats are into dominant sex.

There is probably a built in sex drive that is related to pleasure.
There is this lizard I think it is the whiptail that are only females. But before they lay eggs they go thru a mating ritual and act with another female. The X chromosome has almost vanished. It is shrinking in the human population.
But despite the reproductive function sex is more for both animals and humans.
In humans we have sexual or gender identification that matures and is related to our self-concepts. This could be anywhere from male to female to bi to homosexual and still be natural yet a variant. Like the whiptail we may see our species lose one of the sexes and still carry on. Of course laws will not stop what ever happens unless we destroy all variations except that which we want to maintain but even an accident in nature causing hetros to die might be able to push our evolution. There is no plan to evolution, it is a result of change that survives and reproduces.

[Zod]

No direct point just wanted to put in my two cents on this topic.

I am not sure of any mammal or otherwise except humans who have sex for the sheer pleasure of it rather than for the primary purpose of procreation.

Dolphins, pigs, and other primates have sex for pleasure. Also some mammals have sex before sexual maturity for some odd reason to.. I really dont know why though.

But I wonder if they fantasize. LOL I mean cats are into dominant sex.

There is probably a built in sex drive that is related to pleasure.
There is this lizard I think it is the whiptail that are only females. But before they lay eggs they go thru a mating ritual and act with another female. The X chromosome has almost vanished. It is shrinking in the human population.
But despite the reproductive function sex is more for both animals and humans.
In humans we have sexual or gender identification that matures and is related to our self-concepts. This could be anywhere from male to female to bi to homosexual and still be natural yet a variant. Like the whiptail we may see our species lose one of the sexes and still carry on. Of course laws will not stop what ever happens unless we destroy all variations except that which we want to maintain but even an accident in nature causing hetros to die might be able to push our evolution. There is no plan to evolution, it is a result of change that survives and reproduces.

It's basically about the survival of the species and how we adapt to our environment. I just posted an interesting Newsweek article about how they've discovered when mankind first wore cloths. It's in the science forum.