Sunday, May 25, 2008

Six 'uniquely' human traits now found in animals

To accompany the article So you think humans are unique? New Scientist magazine has selected six articles from its archive that challenge notions that the following characteristics are uniquely human (subscription required):

1. Culture - Read the original article: Culture shock (24 March 2001)

2. Mind Reading - Liar! Liar! (14 February 1998)

3. Tool Use - Look, no hands (17 August 2002)

4. Morality - Virtuous nature (13 July 2002)

5. Emotions - Do animals have emotions? (23 May 2007)

6. Personality - Critters with attitude (3 June 2001)

Do you think humans are unique? Take our poll!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank heavens for opposable thumbs.

Randy Hendrickson said...

There's another recent article in the New York Times Health section that discusses the uniqueness of humans compared with other animals, specifically orangutans and chimpanzees, with some surprising results. Check out "How Are Humans Unique?" http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/magazine/25wwln-essay-t.html?ref=health.