The Uniqueness of the Human Species - Essay Example

The Uniqueness of the Human Species Introduction For several years, researchers have been interested in identifying how humans are significantly different from animals as well as nonhuman primates. Even though human are even recognized as animals in the context of sociology as well as psychology and science, researchers have tried to examine and evaluate the significant similarities as well as differences between the human animals and other animals. This writing will focus on two features that make human beings unique when compared to their nonhuman primates. Two main factors and characteristics that draw a fine line between humans and nonhuman primates include communication and cognition. Body The ability of human beings to use language in its completely evolved state is the most significant difference between the groups of human beings and nonhuman primates. Cognition as well as ability to communicate is two important elements of language and these two elements add heavily to the uniqueness of human beings. Mammals that are not human even have a very complicated system of perception which is very nearly similar to the system of perception of human beings but they lack the ability to identify the mental state of their fellow mammals. The skill of knowing another person or knowing about the intention of another person is available in nonhuman mammals but in very limited amount. For example: Cheney and Seyfarth identified that children who are young along with apes have the ability to identify another individuals motivation and even have the ability to identify their next course of action that may be taken by another individual (Cheney and Seyfarth 3). Tomasello and Carpenter state that nonhuman mammals even have the ability to get involved in the act of identifying another individual’s emotions before action and paying attention at one particular object at the same time (Tomasello and Carpenter 122). But these species lack the ability to identify what others know regarding a particular object or if the other individual is holding a particular false belief. Nonhuman mammals do not only have limited ability to realize the emotions of others, they even lack the ability to identify their own emotions and they even fail in the introspection of “what if” and due to this lack of knowledge they fail to plan and analyze different options. On the other hand, a child who is only one year old is quite aware about their own emotions and have an urge to share their emotions with their loved ones. The lack of these abilities is a distinguishing feature between human beings and their nonhuman primates. Human beings and apes are not only different in the area of perception and sharing of information; they are even quite unique to each other in the area of communication. In case of apes, there is higher level of constrain in their verbal production of sound and usage of words, on the other end humans has an ability of producing vast range of words and sounds. Similarly, nonhuman mammals even have a limited number of calls that they can only use in a limited number of social scenarios. In case of nonhuman primates, the calls that are acoustic in nature are mainly fixed through genetics and only restricted amount of changes take place as they develop. According to Hammerschmidt and Fischer, humans have quite flexible acoustic vocal ability and their ability to speak and make calls can be easily modified through learning as they pass through different developmental stages (Hammerschmidt and Fischer 100). According to linguistics, the inability of the apes of not being able to use a wide range of calls and their inability to modify and develop calls can be overcome through the process recognized as pragmatics. This means that apes have an ability of learning the pairing of sound as well as its meanings, differentiate between different voices, as well as use information regarding the social position of a particular individual. According to Seyfarth and Cheney, apes can interpret the meaning of vocals through a standard and structured manner and through the rule of governance as well as in a manner that is open-ended (Seyfarth and Cheney 9). Another important feature that makes human beings standout and differentiated from nonhuman primates and is a portion of development of communication and cognition is the ability to imitate. According to Liane Gabora humans are the only individual mammals that have the ability and skills of imitating sounds as well the actions and behaviors they observe (Gabora 1). The ability to imitate is very essential for various aspects of socialization human beings including the ability to draw, dance and talk. The ability of imitating is obtained by an individual at a very early age when an individual is paired with his/her mother. Another important task that is completed by human beings through imitation is the ability of recognizing cultural homogeneity. Imitation helps an individual in recognizing the rules and regulations of his/her culture and then these rules and regulations as well activities are imitated by individuals and this leads to cultural homogeneity. An important element of the cognition of human beings that differentiates human beings from animals and nonhuman primates is the ability to plan and foresee. On the contrary it may seem that similar trait is shared by animals even, for example: bears hibernating. According to Premack, although activities of animals such as bears hibernating may seem similar to planning, but it’s not necessary that such activities conducted by animals are a result of pre behavior thought process (Premack 13864). Even if animals plan before hand, they do it in very limited social context; on the other hand humans perform planning for several social contexts. Conclusion Researchers have for quite some time tried to identify the differences that makes human beings unique when compared to animals as well as nonhuman primates. The main differences that alienate human beings from being recognized as animals are based on cognition and communication. Features unique to humans includes their ability to create various calls, develop calls over time, imitate language and behavior, plan, recognizing the emotions of others, making rational decisions by weighting alternative solutions and identifying the actions of others. Annotated Bibliography Cheney, Dorothy L., and Robert M. Seyfarth. "The Evolution of a Cooperative Social Mind." Oxford Handbooks Online. 2012-09-18. Oxford University Press. Date of access 11 Jul. 2013, . In this article the researchers tried to identify the importance of social relationships and how they differed between animals and human beings. The researchers identified that children and nonhuman mammals have limited amount of knowledge and ability to use social interactions to their benefit (Cheney 3). This information was obtained from the article and used in the paper to support the claim that humans have a unique way of using social interactions to their advantage and animals have limited ability to perform the same task. Gabora, Liane . "To Imitate is Human: A Review of The Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore." Your Page Title. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2013. . This article was used to identify another cognitive and communicative feature of human beings that makes human beings different from animals and nonhuman mammals (Gabora 1). The feature that differentiates humans from animals is the ability to imitate which assists individuals in performing and achieving various goals. The researchers stated that with the assistance of imitation, individuals learn the norms and values of their society and culture and ability to imitate even helps them in learning how to communicate with others and this skill is developed at a very early age when individuals are paired with their mothers. Hammerschmidt, Katrin, and Julia Fischer . "Constraints in primate vocal production." The evolution of communicative creativity: from fixed signals to contextual flexibility (2008): 93 - 119. Print. Information obtained from this article was used to differentiate between humans and nonhuman mammals on the basis of vocalization. The researchers state that animals have limited vocalization ability and vocal calls that they use in limited settings, while humans have a wide range of vocal ability which they use under different social scenarios (Hammerschmidt 100). This information was used to show that humans are unique to animals on the basis of vocal power. Premack, David. "Human and Animal Cognition: Continuity and Discontinuity." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104.35 (2007): 13861-13867. Print. This article was used to figure out the difference between the cognition of human beings as well as animals. This article helped in identifying that with the assistance of cognitive abilities, human beings perform a very essential task of planning in their daily life and this capability is lacking in animals (Premack 13864). The researchers even state that animals may exhibit behavior which might seem as a result of planning, but actually they conduct such activities as a reaction to their genetics. Seyfarth, M. Robert, and Dorothy L. Cheney. "Primate Social Cognition As a Precursor to Language." (2011). Print. This article was used to counter the point that only humans have a wide variety of vocal power and was used in the assignment to counter the thesis. In this article the researchers state that although animals have limited ability to identify vocal information but they can develop the ability to identify vocal information with the assistance of the context in which they are being used and by the animal who is using that information (Robert 9). Tomasello, Michael, and Malinda Carpenter. "Shared Intentionality." Developmental Science. 10.1 (2007): 121-125. Print. In this article the researchers state that similar to human beings, animals such as apes even have the ability to give attention to particular stimuli at the same time. Animals do so by tracking the sight of other animals but animals lack the ability to comprehend what the other animal look is at and why he/she is looking at it (Tomasello and Carpenter 122). Humans have the ability to identify why someone is looking at particular stimuli and what will be his/her reaction to the stimuli. Works Cited Cheney, Dorothy L., and Robert M. Seyfarth. "The Evolution of a Cooperative Social Mind." Oxford Handbooks Online. 2012-09-18. Oxford University Press. Date of access 11 Jul. 2013, . Gabora, Liane. "To Imitate is Human: A Review of The Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore." Your Page Title. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2013. . Hammerschmidt, Katrin, and Julia Fischer . "Constraints in primate vocal production." The Evolution Of Communicative Creativity: From Fixed Signals To Contextual Flexibility (2008): 93 - 119. Print. Premack, David. "Human and Animal Cognition: Continuity and Discontinuity." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104.35 (2007): 13861-13867. Print. Seyfarth, M. Robert, and Dorothy L. Cheney. "Primate Social Cognition As a Precursor to Language." (2011). Print. Tomasello, Michael, and Malinda Carpenter. "Shared Intentionality." Developmental Science. 10.1 (2007): 121-125. Print. Read More