Why have Only Humans.....

[Jetboy2]

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...only humanoids have developed into something that has the potential to affect and control the rest of the world and it's inhabitants...

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And, have developed the potential and activity, to destroy the very ecosystems upon which is required for their survival.

[hitch1978]

I believe it is all fluke. Fluke that in our evolving we chanced upon a diet that developed brain size. Fluke that our body's evolved opposing thumbs, etc...

That coupled with the facts that -

1) We were the first (as allready mentioned.)
2) We have HAD to develope at such a rate to survive.
and
3) If the history of this planet was 24 hours long, we are still not at 00.10AM. So we may still end up being a pretty low species on the list of all time highly developed lifeforms on this planet. Remember when running the 100m in under 10secs was a real big deal?

[tame_deuces]

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3) If the history of this planet was 24 hours long, we are still not at 00.10AM. So we may still end up being a pretty low species on the list of all time highly developed lifeforms on this planet. Remember when running the 100m in under 10secs was a real big deal?

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That depends on what you define 'highly evolved' as. If you define it as 'total mass exceeding <number> you'll end up with a different answer than when defining it as 'ability for widespread use of abstract symbols'.

[hitch1978]

Agreed.

My point works for either format.

[vhawk01]

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...only humanoids have developed into something that has the potential to affect and control the rest of the world and it's inhabitants...

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And, have developed the potential and activity, to destroy the very ecosystems upon which is required for their survival.

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So?

[Roland32]

The way this question is phrased renders it meaningless. It really is no different than asking why I saw a license plate numbere xyz 123 today.

However if what you really mean is that we have a complex society and because we appear to be the only complex society, is their a special reason for that. From which you can draw many hypothesises including:

1. We are the most efficient complex society amongst others, (example neanderthals) and as the early winner we currently hold a monopoly

2. An outside force has made it so

3. We are not complex society in relation to some noncarbon based lifeform that will introduce itself tomorrow

4. so on down the science fiction imagination

[Max Raker]

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Opposable thumbs = able to use tools.

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We've all heard this, but is their any real evidence that it is true? Specifically that opposable thumbs were crucial to our develepoment.

[foal]

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Opposable thumbs = able to use tools.

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We've all heard this, but is their any real evidence that it is true? Specifically that opposable thumbs were crucial to our develepoment.

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Um, try taping your thumbs to your palms.

[Insp. Clue!So?]

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developed into a complex society.... Why aren't there fish societies, using ATM cards, and working at Coral Reef Complexes in the ocean.... Out of all the species on earth, only humanoids have developed into something that has the potential to affect and control the rest of the world and it's inhabitants...

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Keep in mind, the only reason you even have humans is the fact that the dinosaurs had a really lousy space program (as noted by I fergit who).

[m_the0ry]

1. We did it first

2. Macroevolution operates on timescales orders of magnitude larger than societal change. This is also why we have such trouble accepting evolution.