Origin of Human Species - An Observation

[Astroboy]

Something has always bothered me about the world. It is something that is all around us but no one notices that it is odd.

Why are humans so different from all other species on this planet?

How are we different? Some observations:

Biological Equivalence
Unlike all other species we humans have no equivalents. There are no other bipedal humanoids with large brain capacities with sophisticated cultures and technologies. There are many species of fish, insects, and mammals that have equivalent biological features and capabilities. There are even numerous species of primates that have cousins that are similar. This occurs throughout nature but curiously not for humans. We are the only example of biological monopoly on this level of development.

Poor Innate Adaptation
Humans are poorly adapted to live in the wild without artificial enhancement.

We don't have enough fur to protect us from the cold or too much sun. We have to use clothing or skins of other animals for weather protection. We can only live in very narrow temperature limits without fire, clothing, or shelter.

We are not designed for efficient locomotion. We are one of the slowest animals for our size. Perhaps only the Sloth is slower. Bipedal locomotion is less efficient for traveling and hunting than walking on all fours. Basically it's hard for us to catch anything and hard to run away from anything.

We have minimal natural weapons for killing or defense. With a lack of speed you would have thought maybe we would have claws or fangs but no. We have to use weapons or traps. We can barely kill let alone catch anything with our bare hands and little finger nails. We only possess half the strength of chimps. They don't even work out.

Does Darwin's Theory Explain Human Development?
If selective adaptation is the key to evolution and survival and humans represent the highest form of adaptation because of our sophisticated brain then why didn't this also happen to other species. Why aren't there bipedal talking lizards and insects. Why did these species remain unchanged for hundred of millions of years.

If success as measured in the continuing survival of a species through reproduction then why do you need humans at all. Dinosaurs were successful for hundreds of millions of years longer than humans. They changed very little until changes in the environment happened. Crocodiles and cockroaches have thrived since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. That being said, is a large brain creature with poor natural adaptive qualities like humans is almost unnecessary.

The Earth as an Living Ecosystem
Does it really make sense to evolve a creature that is detrimental to the ecosystem of the planet?

Human do not live in balance with nature. We procreate at will. All other animals self regulate. We consume more than we put back. We take up more room than is needed. We behave more like a virus on a living planet. We are the only animals that act like this.

While you can argue that there is need to evolve a thing like man so he can travel among the stars and spread his seeds thus life throughout the universe this really is not true. Bacteria can be spread through meteor impact and can survive the harsh environment of space. Meteor collisions can jettison material from one planet to another. This already has been proven.

Conclusion
All things considered mankind seems out of place in this world. If you've watched Sesame Street you are familiar with the game "Which One Doesn't Belong".

Do I have an explanation for all this? Well, I don't know. Could it be alien intervention? Maybe. Divine intervention? Who knows. Maybe there is a walking talking lizard living underground. Haven't ever seen a fossil or bones of one.

What do you all think? I'd love to get your feedback. Any evolutionary biologists out there want to chime in? BTW, I do believe in evolution as a natural process.

 

[The Pair of Cats]

Read the thread listed below. You might be interested in the discussion there.


https://www.theparacast.com/forums/are-we-the-real-aliens-t-969.html

 

[Slim Shady]

I think humans are like what a wraith are in stragate atlantis , a virus that hatched on to a lifeform and made it suck the life out of everything around it

 

[Xzorter]

Sometimes logic and rational observations that contradict a belief system rarely will produce much response especially if it presented with such an eloquent construct . Bravo.Very good argument.I won't hold my breath for much reasoned debate.

 

[Kieran]

Something has always bothered me about the world. It is something that is all around us but no one notices that it is odd.

Why are humans so different from all other species on this planet?

How are we different? Some observations:

Biological Equivalence
Unlike all other species we humans have no equivalents. There are no other bipedal humanoids with large brain capacities with sophisticated cultures and technologies. There are many species of fish, insects, and mammals that have equivalent biological features and capabilities. There are even numerous species of primates that have cousins that are similar. This occurs throughout nature but curiously not for humans. We are the only example of biological monopoly on this level of development.

Poor Innate Adaptation
Humans are poorly adapted to live in the wild without artificial enhancement.

We don't have enough fur to protect us from the cold or too much sun. We have to use clothing or skins of other animals for weather protection. We can only live in very narrow temperature limits without fire, clothing, or shelter.

We are not designed for efficient locomotion. We are one of the slowest animals for our size. Perhaps only the Sloth is slower. Bipedal locomotion is less efficient for traveling and hunting than walking on all fours. Basically it's hard for us to catch anything and hard to run away from anything.

We have minimal natural weapons for killing or defense. With a lack of speed you would have thought maybe we would have claws or fangs but no. We have to use weapons or traps. We can barely kill let alone catch anything with our bare hands and little finger nails. We only possess half the strength of chimps. They don't even work out.

Does Darwin's Theory Explain Human Development?
If selective adaptation is the key to evolution and survival and humans represent the highest form of adaptation because of our sophisticated brain then why didn't this also happen to other species. Why aren't there bipedal talking lizards and insects. Why did these species remain unchanged for hundred of millions of years.

If success as measured in the continuing survival of a species through reproduction then why do you need humans at all. Dinosaurs were successful for hundreds of millions of years longer than humans. They changed very little until changes in the environment happened. Crocodiles and cockroaches have thrived since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. That being said, is a large brain creature with poor natural adaptive qualities like humans is almost unnecessary.

The Earth as an Living Ecosystem
Does it really make sense to evolve a creature that is detrimental to the ecosystem of the planet?

Human do not live in balance with nature. We procreate at will. All other animals self regulate. We consume more than we put back. We take up more room than is needed. We behave more like a virus on a living planet. We are the only animals that act like this.

While you can argue that there is need to evolve a thing like man so he can travel among the stars and spread his seeds thus life throughout the universe this really is not true. Bacteria can be spread through meteor impact and can survive the harsh environment of space. Meteor collisions can jettison material from one planet to another. This already has been proven.

Conclusion
All things considered mankind seems out of place in this world. If you've watched Sesame Street you are familiar with the game "Which One Doesn't Belong".

Do I have an explanation for all this? Well, I don't know. Could it be alien intervention? Maybe. Divine intervention? Who knows. Maybe there is a walking talking lizard living underground. Haven't ever seen a fossil or bones of one.

What do you all think? I'd love to get your feedback. Any evolutionary biologists out there want to chime in? BTW, I do believe in evolution as a natural process.

You have brought up some interesting points, but personally, I don't believe we are "Alien" to this world we inhabit. A large number of animals around the globe have the exact same body parts we do a brain, lungs kidneys and so on you get me! and all breath the same air oxygen. If the world was made for someone else, and not oxygen based carbon dioxide lifeforms we and other lifeforms would have perished long ago. The difference between us and other lifeforms is not all that different except we have a higher intelligence to learn and create something out of nothing, which other lifeforms for the most part do not have I think., the ant is pretty cool though!

Is it by divine intervention we were put here, "God" if such a thing has existence, did this God thing create everything we see around us and above us and elsewhere, did GOD create a matrix type system to experience joy fun some odd emotion we have never experienced as physical beings!, Well that is pretty much an unanswerable question! Were Homo-sapiens genetically tinkered with in the past, intelligences from other worlds came here, and messed with our genes, could we be relatives of some unknown intelligence, that arrived long ago, and has been watching over it's "Family" which would be us, but us, have lost the memory of it's ancient past, but the intelligence still cares enough to keep watch over us from afar?

There is so many theories one could come up with for why we Humans do seem to be out of place somewhat to other things on the planet, but to suggest we could not have been here all along and originated on this planet that is simply wrong, the only planet we know for sure that actually has intelligent life on it is this one.

We have oddly enough lot of evidence to believe we always have been on this planet, but people sometimes forget, who not to say we did not travel out previously to the stars, but that history is no longer with us anymore for whatever reason. There is a claim there is a face on Mars that resembles a Human face and perhaps pyramids, but who can say for sure it was not build by Ancient ancient Humans however long ago that was. I am intrigued by it all personallyl!

 

[TClaeys]

It just goes to show you that strength, speed, size, and big teeth are not the adaptation end all. Evolution is about fitting the environment, successful reporoduction, and competing and winning in any number of niches. We, as humans, did at one point have counterparts. Neanderthals had culture, thought, bipedalism, and all the rest. And although that story is not entirely crystal clear they still lived at the time of ancient man.

I do think that evolutionary theory explains humans quite adequetely. There is really no reason to discount the theory as far as I can tell. Human biology, morphology, DNA sequences, ancient hominid fossils, dating techniques, embryology, and more all tell us we are pretty much the same biologically as any other creature on this planet.

"If selective adaptation is the key to evolution and survival and humans represent the highest form of adaptation because of our sophisticated brain then why didn't this also happen to other species. Why aren't there bipedal talking lizards and insects. Why did these species remain unchanged for hundred of millions of years."

I think it is a mistake to believe that humans represent the highest form of adaptation. Evolution isn't a one way street to humanity and big brains. Evolution is about continued survival and adaptations neccessary to sustain it. This is the reason some animals have been around for so damn long. They don't need to change, .... they reproduce and are successful despite major changes throughout Earth's history. That's it. No need for for lizards to become walking talking thinking lizards. Nature did no selecting here. But with us ,.. different story

Humans are poorly adapted to live in the wild without artificial enhancement.

We don't have enough fur to protect us from the cold or too much sun. We have to use clothing or skins of other animals for weather protection. We can only live in very narrow temperature limits without fire, clothing, or shelter.

We are not designed for efficient locomotion. We are one of the slowest animals for our size. Perhaps only the Sloth is slower. Bipedal locomotion is less efficient for traveling and hunting than walking on all fours. Basically it's hard for us to catch anything and hard to run away from anything.

We have minimal natural weapons for killing or defense. With a lack of speed you would have thought maybe we would have claws or fangs but no. We have to use weapons or traps. We can barely kill let alone catch anything with our bare hands and little finger nails. We only possess half the strength of chimps. They don't even work out.

The fact that humans are millions of years in the making is testament to the fact that we are well adapted. What are we adapted to?? Change. We use our brains to figure out ways to live in freezing to tropical environments and to make tools, shelter, and weapons. Running speed, giant canines, claws, fur, and all these other adaptations were simply not as important for survival. But the developing brain was(and of course many others, .. we gotta have a thumb right??). I'm sure there is some kind of tradeoff here. If we knew all the twists and turns that human adaptation has taken over the last few million years and WHY it happened we would have quite a story. Hell, we have quite a story already. But the fact that we don't present with sharp teeth and stunning speed doesn't mean humans didn't evolve (and I know you're not saying that). We just need to know that whatever adaptations we did evolve, it was important to our survival. Our equivalents at the time didn't compete well enough in the same niche.

.

 

[tyder001]

I read recently (May have been linked from a post here but I'm not sure.) that some scientist now are researching the possibility that evolution rewards "cooperation" instead of simply the strongest or the fastest. So, mankind being tribal and working together was one of the advantages that allowed us to "live long and prosper."

 

[Xylo]

Something has always bothered me about the world. It is something that is all around us but no one notices that it is odd.

Why are humans so different from all other species on this planet?

How are we different? Some observations:

Biological Equivalence
Unlike all other species we humans have no equivalents. There are no other bipedal humanoids with large brain capacities with sophisticated cultures and technologies. There are many species of fish, insects, and mammals that have equivalent biological features and capabilities. There are even numerous species of primates that have cousins that are similar. This occurs throughout nature but curiously not for humans. We are the only example of biological monopoly on this level of development.

Perhaps there would have been if early humans hadn't killed them? I have heard before that there is evidence that early man (homo sapien sapien) was co-existent with Austrolopithicus. Perhaps the early man's use of tools and larger brain size led them to eradicate their competition?

Poor Innate Adaptation
Humans are poorly adapted to live in the wild without artificial enhancement.

We don't have enough fur to protect us from the cold or too much sun. We have to use clothing or skins of other animals for weather protection. We can only live in very narrow temperature limits without fire, clothing, or shelter.

We are not designed for efficient locomotion. We are one of the slowest animals for our size. Perhaps only the Sloth is slower. Bipedal locomotion is less efficient for traveling and hunting than walking on all fours. Basically it's hard for us to catch anything and hard to run away from anything.

We have minimal natural weapons for killing or defense. With a lack of speed you would have thought maybe we would have claws or fangs but no. We have to use weapons or traps. We can barely kill let alone catch anything with our bare hands and little finger nails. We only possess half the strength of chimps. They don't even work out.

Does Darwin's Theory Explain Human Development?
If selective adaptation is the key to evolution and survival and humans represent the highest form of adaptation because of our sophisticated brain then why didn't this also happen to other species. Why aren't there bipedal talking lizards and insects. Why did these species remain unchanged for hundred of millions of years.

If success as measured in the continuing survival of a species through reproduction then why do you need humans at all. Dinosaurs were successful for hundreds of millions of years longer than humans. They changed very little until changes in the environment happened. Crocodiles and cockroaches have thrived since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. That being said, is a large brain creature with poor natural adaptive qualities like humans is almost unnecessary.

However the primary adaptation of man is his use of tools: everything from flint for sharpened edges to fire for warmth and cooking. (Incidentally cooking kills a great many bacteria, perhaps that key difference could be why the competition wasn't successful.)

The Earth as an Living Ecosystem
Does it really make sense to evolve a creature that is detrimental to the ecosystem of the planet?

Human do not live in balance with nature. We procreate at will. All other animals self regulate. We consume more than we put back. We take up more room than is needed. We behave more like a virus on a living planet. We are the only animals that act like this.

While you can argue that there is need to evolve a thing like man so he can travel among the stars and spread his seeds thus life throughout the universe this really is not true. Bacteria can be spread through meteor impact and can survive the harsh environment of space. Meteor collisions can jettison material from one planet to another. This already has been proven.

Perhaps it doesn't make sense. However humans have directed their own evolution through the years...the strongest and the brightest are the ones that procreated. The ones that were able to learn cultivation and master the techniques of hunting had the most supplies and thus ensured a stronger next generation. One must remember that early humans probably didn't destroy the environment to the same extent as the modern (last 2,000 years) have been and are doing.

Conclusion
All things considered mankind seems out of place in this world. If you've watched Sesame Street you are familiar with the game "Which One Doesn't Belong".

Do I have an explanation for all this? Well, I don't know. Could it be alien intervention? Maybe. Divine intervention? Who knows. Maybe there is a walking talking lizard living underground. Haven't ever seen a fossil or bones of one.

What do you all think? I'd love to get your feedback. Any evolutionary biologists out there want to chime in? BTW, I do believe in evolution as a natural process.

I don't think there are walking, talking lizards. There are some very intelligent cetaceans, some very clever other animals. Tool use is being documented in many species. Play, long a hallmark of intelligence, is exhibited in many species as well.

The evolution of humans does present some large questions. But I don't believe that convergent evolution occurs everywhere. Selective adaptation occurs to fill a niche within the ecosystem- in general. But in specific other outside factors can influence it, especially selective breeding and success of subsequent generations.



On a related note, just checking out some of my regular sites I found this interesting piece:

The Top Ten Daily Consequences of Having Evolved | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine