State educational institution of higher professional education
"East Siberian State Academy of Education"
Man and monkey. Similarities and differences
Completed:
Ropel Alina
Group 2b3
Irkutsk 2010
1. Introduction
2. Evidence of animal origin of humans
3. Differences in the structure and behavior of humans and animals
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
1. INTRODUCTION
Apes resemble humans in many ways. They express feelings of joy, anger, sadness, gently caress the cubs, take care of them, and punish them for disobedience. They have a good memory and highly developed higher nervous activity.
J.B. Lamarck proposed a hypothesis about the origin of man from ape-like ancestors, who moved from climbing trees to walking upright. As a result, their body straightened and their feet changed. The need for communication led to speech. In 1871 Charles Darwin's work “The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection” was published. In it, he proves the kinship of humans with apes, using data from comparative anatomy, embryology, and paleontology. At the same time, Darwin rightly believed that not a single living ape can be considered a direct ancestor of humans.
similarity difference man monkey
2. PROOF OF HUMAN ANIMAL ORIGIN
Man is a mammal because he has a diaphragm, mammary glands, differentiated teeth (incisors, canines and molars), ears, and his embryo develops in utero. Humans have the same organs and organ systems as other mammals: circulatory, respiratory, excretory, digestive, etc.
Similarities can also be seen in the development of human and animal embryos. Human development begins with one fertilized egg. Due to its division, new cells are formed, tissues and organs of the embryo are formed. At the stage of 1.5-3 months of intrauterine development, the caudal spine is developed in the human fetus, and gill slits are formed. The brain of a one-month-old embryo resembles the brain of a fish, and that of a seven-month-old embryo resembles the brain of a monkey. In the fifth month of intrauterine development, the embryo has hair, which subsequently disappears. Thus, in many ways, the human embryo is similar to the embryos of other vertebrates.
The behavior of humans and higher animals is very similar. The similarity between humans and apes is especially great. They are characterized by the same conditioned and unconditioned reflexes. In monkeys, like in humans, one can observe developed facial expressions and care for offspring. In chimpanzees, for example, like in humans, there are 4 blood groups. Humans and monkeys suffer from diseases that do not affect other mammals, such as cholera, influenza, smallpox, and tuberculosis. Chimpanzees walk on their hind limbs and do not have a tail. The genetic material of humans and chimpanzees is 99% identical.
Monkeys have a well-developed brain, including the forebrain hemispheres. In humans and monkeys, gestation periods and patterns of embryonic development coincide. As monkeys age, their teeth fall out and their hair turns grey. An important evidence of the animal origin of man is the development of signs of distant ancestors (body hair, external tail, polymapillae) and underdeveloped organs and signs that have lost their functional significance, of which there are over 90 in humans (ear muscles, Darwin's tubercle on the auricle, semilunar fold of the inner corner of the eye , appendix, etc.).
The gorilla has the greatest similarity with humans in such characteristics as body proportions, relatively short upper limbs, and the structure of the pelvis, hands and feet; The chimpanzee is similar to humans in terms of the structure of the skull (greater roundness and smoothness) and the size of the limbs. An orangutan, like a human, has 12 ribs. But this does not mean that man descends from any of the current species of monkeys. These facts indicate that humans and apes had a common ancestor, which gave rise to a number of branches, and evolution proceeded in different directions.
The scientific study of monkey intelligence began with Charles Darwin. He owns a book that remains a classic in its field to this day - “On the Expression of Sensations in Man and Animals” (1872). In particular, it shows that the facial expressions of monkeys are similar to those of humans. Darwin believed this to be a consequence of the similarity in facial muscles among primates.
He also determined that facial expressions and expressions of emotions are, one might say, a means of communication. Darwin also stated the following detail: the ape is capable of mimicking almost all human emotions, except amazement, surprise and disgust.
Many neurological diseases in humans and chimpanzees and even other monkeys are very similar. Relatively recently, it became known that the monkey is the only animal that is successfully used in psychiatric research: in studying the model of isolation, phobia, depression, hysteria, neurasthenia, autism and other features of schizophrenia. A satisfactory model of human psychosis can be obtained by “socially” isolating monkeys.
Currently, important results have been obtained, already used in practice, on the study of a model of human depression in lower monkeys. Various forms of major depression in monkeys, as a rule, developed as a result of separation of monkeys from an attachment figure, for example, a baby from its mother, which had a hard impact on both. The symptoms of depression in monkeys are largely parallel to similar conditions in children and adults: depressed mood, sleep disturbance, lack of appetite, a clear decrease in motor activity, loss of interest in games. It has been shown that infants of different species of macaques, isolated from their peers or from their mothers, as well as the females themselves, develop disorders of cellular immunity similar to those that occur in adults after bereavement. The state of depression in monkeys can last for years, and most importantly, already in adulthood the animal turns out to be biologically inferior, and it is extremely difficult to cure it. Separation causes not only depression, but also other disorders, each time associated with the “personal” life history of each individual.
The emotions of monkeys (not necessarily higher ones, but also lower ones!) are not just similar to human ones. They often manifest themselves “humanly”; the heart of an irritated baboon is ready to jump out of his chest, but he hides his indignation from others, is “calm”, inhibited, and, on the contrary, the animal clearly threatens the enemy, shows formidable fangs and sharply raises his eyebrows, and there are no changes in autonomic functions. (It may be noted that blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and heart rate in monkeys are the same as in humans).
Great apes are susceptible to hypnosis, which can be induced in them using conventional methods. Recently, gorillas have been shown to preferentially use their right hand, suggesting brain asymmetry in apes that is similar to human brain asymmetry.
Especially great neurological and behavioral similarities between humans and great apes have been established in infancy and childhood. Psychomotor development in a baby chimpanzee and a child proceeds in the same way.
The immobility of the ear of monkeys and humans is unique, which is why they have to turn their heads equally towards the sound source in order to hear better. It has been proven that chimpanzees distinguish 22 colors, up to 7 shades of the same tone. There is evidence of similarities among higher primates in the sense of smell, taste, touch, and even the perception of the weight of lifted objects. Studying various representatives of vertebrates, physiologists trace the path of development and gradual complication of the higher nervous activity of animals, their ability to retain in memory developed conditioned reflexes.
We can say that humans, chimpanzees and orangutans are the only creatures on Earth that recognize themselves in the mirror! The authors talk about the presence of elementary ideas about their own “I” in monkeys that recognize themselves. Self-recognition is considered by many to be the highest form of associative behavior in the animal kingdom. In different situations, a chimpanzee makes the most appropriate decision: it perfectly uses a lever, a key, a screwdriver, a stick, a stone and other objects, searches for and finds them if they are not at hand.
3. DIFFERENCES IN THE STRUCTURE AND BEHAVIOR OF HUMANS AND ANIMALS
Along with similarities, humans have certain differences from monkeys.
In monkeys, the spine is arched, but in humans it has four curves, giving it an S-shape. A person has a wider pelvis, an arched foot, which softens the shaking of internal organs when walking, a wide chest, the ratio of the length of the limbs and the development of their individual parts, and the structural features of the muscles and internal organs.
A number of structural features of a person are associated with his work activity and the development of thinking. In humans, the thumb on the hand is opposed to the other fingers, thanks to which the hand can perform a variety of actions. The cerebral part of the skull in humans prevails over the facial part due to the large volume of the brain, reaching approximately 1200-1450 cm3 (in monkeys - 600 cm3); the chin is well developed on the lower jaw.
The great differences between monkeys and humans are due to the adaptation of the former to life in trees. This feature, in turn, leads to many others. The significant differences between man and animals are that man has acquired qualitatively new features - the ability to walk upright, freeing his hands and using them as labor organs for making tools, articulate speech as a way of communication, consciousness, i.e. those properties that are closely related to the development of human society. Man not only uses the surrounding nature, but subjugates it, actively changes it according to his needs, and creates the necessary things himself.
4. SIMILARITIES OF HUMANS AND APEES
The same expression of feelings of joy, anger, sadness.
Monkeys tenderly caress their babies.
Monkeys take care of children, but also punish them for disobedience.
Monkeys have a well-developed memory.
Monkeys are able to use natural objects as simple tools.
Monkeys have concrete thinking.
Monkeys can walk on their hind limbs, supporting themselves on their hands.
Monkeys, like humans, have nails on their fingers, not claws.
Monkeys have 4 incisors and 8 molars - just like humans.
Humans and monkeys have common diseases (influenza, AIDS, smallpox, cholera, typhoid fever).
Humans and apes have a similar structure of all organ systems.
Biochemical evidence of the affinity between humans and apes :
the degree of hybridization of human and chimpanzee DNA is 90-98%, human and gibbon - 76%, human and macaque - 66%;
Cytological evidence of the proximity of humans and monkeys:
Humans have 46 chromosomes, chimpanzees and monkeys have 48, and gibbons have 44;
in the chromosomes of the 5th pair of chimpanzee and human chromosomes there is an inverted pericentric region
CONCLUSION
All of the above facts indicate that humans and apes descended from a common ancestor and make it possible to determine the place of humans in the system of the organic world. Humans belong to the phylum of chordates, the subtype of vertebrates, the class of mammals, and the species Homo sapiens.
The similarity between humans and monkeys is proof of their relatedness and common origin, and the differences are a consequence of different directions of evolution of monkeys and human ancestors, especially the influence of human labor (tool) activity. Labor is the leading factor in the process of transformation of a monkey into a human.
F. Engels drew attention to this feature of human evolution in his essay “The Role of Labor in the Process of Transformation of Ape into Man,” which was written in 1876-1878. and published in 1896. He was the first to analyze the qualitative uniqueness and significance of social factors in the historical formation of man.
The decisive step for the transition from ape to man was taken in connection with the transition of our earliest ancestors from walking on all fours and climbing to an upright gait. In work activity, articulate speech and human social life developed, with which, as Engels said, we enter the realm of history. If the psyche of animals is determined only by biological laws, then the human psyche is the result of social development and influence.
Man is a social being who has created a magnificent civilization.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST
1. Panov E.N. Zykova L.Yu. Animal and human behavior: similarities and differences. Pushchino-on-Oka, 1989.
2. Sifard P.M., Cheeney D.L. Mind and thinking in monkeys // In the world of science. 1993. No. 2-3.
3. Stolyarenko V.E., Stolyarenko L.D. “Anthropology is a systemic science of man”, M.: “Phoenix”, 2004.
4. Khomutov A. “Anthropology”, M.: “Phoenix”, 2004.
5. Reader on zoopsychology and comparative psychology: Textbook / Comp. M.N. Sotskaya MGPPU, 2003.
6. Khrisanfova E.N., Perevozchikov I.V. "Anthropology. Textbook. Edition 4", M.: MSU, 2005.
7. Yarskaya-Smirnova E.R., Romanov P.V. “Social anthropology”, M.: social protection, 2004.
The unique properties of man confirm the history of Genesis - they were given to him as part of the ability to"possession of the earth and dominion over animals", creativity and changing the world ( Genesis 1:28 ). They reflect the gulf that separates us from the monkeys.
Science has now discovered many differences between us and apes that cannot be explained by minor internal changes, rare mutations, or survival of the fittest.
Physical differences
1. Tails - where did they go? There is no intermediate state “between the tails”.
2. Many primates and most mammals produce their own vitamin C. 1 We, as the “strongest,” obviously lost this ability “somewhere along the way to survival.”
3. Our newborns are different from baby animals. . Our babies helplessand are more dependent on parents. They can neither stand nor run, while newborn monkeys can hang and move from place to place. Is this progress?
4. People need a long childhood. Chimpanzees and gorillas mature at 11–12 years of age. This fact contradicts evolution, since, following logic, survival of the fittest should require a shorter period of childhood.
5. We have different skeletal structures. Man as a whole is structured in a completely different way. Our torso is shorter, while monkeys have longer lower limbs.
6. Monkeys have long arms and short legs , on the contrary, we have short arms and long legs.
7. A person has a special S-shaped spine with distinct cervical and lumbar curves, monkeys do not have spinal curvature. Humans have the largest total number of vertebrae.
8. Humans have 12 pairs of ribs, and chimpanzees have 13 pairs.
9. In humans, the rib cage is deeper and barrel-shaped , and in chimpanzees it is cone-shaped. Additionally, a cross section of chimpanzee ribs shows that they are rounder than human ribs.
10. Monkeys' Feet Look Like Their Hands - their big toe is mobile, directed to the side and opposed to the rest of the fingers, resembling the thumb of a hand. In humans, the big toe is directed forward and not opposed to the rest.
11. Human feet are unique – they promote bipedal walking and cannot compare with the appearance and function of the ape's foot.
12. Monkeys have no arch in their feet! When we walk, our foot thanks to the archcushionsall loads, shocks and impacts.
13. The structure of the human kidney is unique.
14. A person does not have continuous hair.
15. Humans have a thick layer of fat that monkeys do not have. Thanks to this, our skin more closely resembles that of a dolphin.
16. Human skin is rigidly attached to the muscular frame, which is characteristic only of marine mammals.
17. Humans are the only land creatures that can consciously hold their breath. This seemingly “insignificant detail” is very important.
18. Only humans have the whites of their eyes. All monkeys have completely dark eyes.
19. The outline of a person’s eye is unusually elongated in the horizontal direction, which increases the field of view.
20. Humans have a distinct chin, but monkeys do not.
21. Most animals, including chimpanzees, have a large mouth. We have a small mouth, with which we can articulate better.
22. Wide and turned lips - a characteristic feature of a person; Great apes have very thin lips.
23. Unlike the great apes,the person has a protruding nose with a well-developed elongated tip.
24. Only humans can grow long hair on their heads.
25. Among primates, only humans have blue eyes and curly hair.
26. We have a unique speech apparatus , providing the finest articulation and articulate speech.
27. In humans, the larynx occupies a much lower position in relation to the mouth than in monkeys. Due to this, our pharynx and mouth form a common “tube”, which plays an important role as a speech resonator. Features of the structure and function of the sound reproduction organs of humans and monkeyshttp://andrej102.narod.ru/tab_morf.htm
28. Man has a special language - thicker, taller and more mobile than those of monkeys. And we have multiple muscle attachments to the hyoid bone.
29. Humans have fewer interconnected jaw muscles than monkeys, – we do not have bone structures for their attachment (very important for the ability to speak).
30. Humans are the only primate whose face is not covered with hair.
31. The human skull does not have bony ridges or continuous brow ridges.
32. Human skull has a vertical face with protruding nasal bones, but the skull of monkeys has a sloping face with flat nasal bones.
33. Different structure of teeth. In humans, the jaw is smaller and the dental arch is parabolic, the anterior section has a rounded shape. Monkeys have a U-shaped dental arch. Humans have shorter canines, whereas all apes have prominent canines.
34. Humans can exercise precise motor control that monkeys do not have, and perform delicate physical operations thanks tounique connection between nerves and muscles .
35. Humans have more motor neurons controlling muscle movements than in chimpanzees.
36. The human hand is absolutely unique. It can rightfully be called a miracle of design. The articulation in the human hand is much more complex and skillful than that of primates.
37. Thumb of our hand well developed, strongly opposed to others and very mobile. Monkeys have hook-shaped hands with a short and weak thumb. No element of culture would exist without our unique thumb!
38. The human hand is capable of two unique compressions that monkeys cannot do. , – precision (for example, holding a baseball) and power (grabbing the crossbar with your hand). A chimpanzee cannot produce a strong squeeze, while the use of force is the main component of a forceful grip.
39. Human fingers are straight, shorter and more mobile than those of chimpanzees.
40 Only man has true upright posture . The unique human approach requires a complex integration of the many skeletal and muscular features of our hips, legs and feet.
41. Humans are able to support our body weight on our legs while walking because our thighs meet at the knees to form the tibia.unique bearing angle at 9 degrees (in other words, we have “knees out”).
42. The special location of our ankle joint allows the tibia to make direct movements relative to the foot while walking.
43. The human femur has a special edge for muscle attachment (Linea aspera), which is absent in apes.5
44. In humans, the position of the pelvis relative to the longitudinal axis of the body is unique, moreover, the structure of the pelvis itself is significantly different from the pelvis of monkeys - all this is necessary for upright walking. Our relative width of the iliac wings of the pelvis (width/length x 100) is much greater (125.5) than that of chimpanzees (66.0). Based on this feature alone, it can be argued that humans are radically different from apes.
45. People have unique knees – they can be fixed at full extension, making the kneecap stable, and are located closer to the mid-sagittal plane, being under the center of gravity of our body.
46. The human femur is longer than the chimpanzee femur and usually has a raised linea aspera which holds the linea aspera of the femur under the manubrium.
47. A person hastrue inguinal ligament , which is not found in apes.
48. The human head is located on top of the spinal ridge , whereas in apes it is “suspended” forward, and not upward.
49. The man has a large vaulted skull , taller and rounder. The monkey skull is simplified.
50. The complexity of the human brain is much greater than that of monkeys. . It is approximately 2.5 times larger than the brain of great apes in volume and 3–4 times larger in mass.
51. The gestation period in humans is the longest among primates. For some, this may be another fact that contradicts the theory of evolution.
52. Human hearing is different from that of chimpanzees and most other apes. Human hearing is characterized by a relatively high sensitivity of perception - from two to four kilohertz, and chimpanzees' ears are tuned to sounds that reach a maximum value at either one kilohertz or eight kilohertz.
53. Selective ability of individual cells located in the auditory zone of the human cerebral cortex:“A single human auditory neuron...(can)...distinguish subtle differences in frequencies, up to one-tenth of an octave - and this compares with the sensitivity of a cat of about one octave and half a full octave in a monkey.”This level of recognition is not needed for simple speech discrimination, but is necessary forto listen to music and appreciate all its beauty .
54. Human sexuality is different from the sexuality of all other animal species . This long-term partnerships, co-parenting, private sex, undetectable ovulation, greater sensuality in women, and sex for pleasure.
55 Human sexual relations have no seasonal restrictions .
56. Only humans are known to go through menopause. (except for the black dolphin).
57. Humans are the only primate whose breasts are visible even during periodswhen he is not feeding it to his offspring.
58. Monkeys can always recognize when the female ovulates. We are usually not capable of this. Face-to-face contact is very rare in the mammalian world.
59. A person has a hymen , which no ape has. In monkeys, the penis contains a special grooved bone (cartilage),which a person does not have.
60. Since the human genome includes about 3 billion nucleotides,even a minimal difference of 5% represents 150 million different nucleotides , which equates to approximately 15 million words or 50 huge books of information. The differences represent at least 50 million individual mutation events, which is impossible for evolution to achieve even on an evolutionary time scale of 250 thousand generations -This is simply unrealistic fantasy! The evolutionary belief is untrue and contradicts everything science knows about mutations and genetics.
61. The human Y chromosome differs from the chimpanzee Y chromosome as much as it does from the chicken chromosomes.
62. Chimpanzees and gorillas have 48 chromosomes, while we only have 46.
63. Human chromosomes contain genes that are completely absent in chimpanzees. This fact reflects the difference that exists between the immune systems of humans and chimpanzees.
64. In 2003, scientists calculated a difference of 13.3% between the areas responsible for the immune systems.
65. A 17.4% difference in gene expression in the cerebral cortex was identified in another study.
66. The chimpanzee genome was found to be 12% larger than the human genome. This difference was not taken into account when comparing DNA.
67. human geneFOXP2(playing an important role in the ability to speak) and monkeynot only differ in appearance, but also perform different functions . The FOXP2 gene in chimpanzees is not speech at all, but performs completely different functions, exerting different effects on the functioning of the same genes.
68. The section of human DNA that determines the shape of the hand is very different from the DNA of chimpanzees. Science continues to discover their important role.
69. At the end of each chromosome is a strand of repeated DNA sequence called a telomere. In chimpanzees and other primates there are about 23 kb. (1 kb is equal to 1000 nucleic acid base pairs) repeating elements.Humans are unique among all primates in that their telomeres are much shorter, only 10 kb long.
70. Genes and marker genes in the 4th, 9th and 12th chromosomes of humans and chimpanzeesare not in the same order.
71. In chimpanzees and humans, genes are copied and reproduced in different ways. This point is often silent in evolutionary propaganda when discussing the genetic similarities between apes and humans. This evidence provides tremendous support for reproduction "after its own kind" ( Genesis 1:24–25).
72. People are the only creaturescapable of crying, expressing strong emotional feelings . Only a person sheds tears in sadness.
73. We are the only ones who can laugh when reacting to a joke or expressing emotion. The “smile” of a chimpanzee is purely ritual, functional and has nothing to do with feelings. By showing their teeth, they make it clear to their relatives that there is no aggression involved in their actions. The “laugh” of monkeys sounds completely different and is more reminiscent of the sounds made by a out of breath dog, or an asthma attack in a person. Even the physical aspect of laughter is different: humans laugh only while exhaling, while monkeys laugh both while exhaling and inhaling.
74. In monkeys, adult males never provide food for others , in humans, this is the main responsibility of men.
75. We are the only creatures that blush due to relatively unimportant events.
76. Man builds houses and makes fire. The lower monkeys do not care about housing at all; the higher monkeys build only temporary nests.
77. Among primates, no one can swim as well as humans. We are the only ones whose heart rate automatically slows down when immersed in water and moves around in it, and does not increase, like in land animals.
78. The social life of people is expressed in the formation of the state is a purely human phenomenon. The main (but not the only) difference between human society and the relations of dominance and subordination formed by primates is the awareness by people of their semantic meaning.
79. Monkeys have a fairly small territory,and the man is big.
80. Our newborn children have weakly expressed instincts; They acquire most of their skills through training. Man, unlike monkeys,acquires its own special form of existence “in freedom” , in an open relationship with living beings and, above all, with people, while an animal is born with an already established form of its existence.
81. “Relative hearing” is an exclusively human ability . Humans have a unique ability to recognize pitch based on the relationship of sounds to each other. This ability is called"relative pitch". Some animals, such as birds, can easily recognize a series of repeated sounds, but if the notes are moved slightly down or up (i.e., changing the key), the melody becomes completely unrecognizable to birds. Only humans can guess a melody whose key has been changed even a semitone up or down. A person's relative hearing is another confirmation of the uniqueness of a person.
82. People wear clothes . Man is the only creature that looks out of place without clothes. All animals look funny in clothes!
Apes (anthropomorphids, or hominoids) belong to the superfamily of narrow-nosed primates. These, in particular, include two families: hominids and gibbons. The body structure of narrow-nosed primates is similar to that of humans. This similarity between humans and apes is the main one that allows them to be classified as one taxon.
Evolution
Apes first appeared at the end of the Oligocene in the Old World. This was approximately thirty million years ago. Among the ancestors of these primates, the most famous are primitive gibbon-like individuals - propliopithecus, from the tropics of Egypt. It was from them that Dryopithecus, Gibbon and Pliopithecus arose. In the Miocene, there was a sharp increase in the number and diversity of species of apes that existed at that time. At that time, there was an active spread of Dryopithecus and other hominoids throughout Europe and Asia. Among the Asian individuals were the predecessors of orangutans. In accordance with the data of molecular biology, humans and apes split into two trunks about 8-6 million years ago.
Fossil finds
The oldest known anthropoids are Rukvapithecus, Camoyapithecus, Morotopithecus, Limnopithecus, Ugandapithecus and Ramapithecus. Some scientists are of the opinion that modern apes are descendants of Parapithecus. But this point of view has insufficient justification due to the paucity of the remains of the latter. As a relict hominoid we mean the mythical creature - Bigfoot.
Description of primates
Apes have a larger body than that of apes. Narrow-nosed primates do not have a tail, ischial calluses (only gibbons have small ones), or cheek pouches. A characteristic feature of hominoids is their method of movement. Instead of moving on all their limbs along the branches, they move under the branches mainly on their arms. This method of movement is called brachiation. Adaptation to its use provoked some anatomical changes: more flexible and longer arms, a flattened chest in the anteroposterior direction. All apes are able to stand on their hind limbs, freeing their forelimbs. All types of hominoids are characterized by developed facial expressions, the ability to think and analyze.
Difference between humans and apes
Short-nosed primates have significantly more hair, which covers almost the entire body, with the exception of small areas. Despite the similarity in structure between humans and apes, the muscles of humans are not as well developed and are significantly shorter in length. At the same time, the legs of narrow-nosed primates are less developed, weaker and shorter. Apes move easily through trees. Often individuals swing on branches. During walking, all limbs are typically used. Some individuals prefer the “walking on their fists” method of movement. In this case, the body weight is transferred to the fingers, which are gathered into a fist. Differences between humans and apes also manifest themselves in the level of intelligence. Despite the fact that narrow-nosed individuals are considered one of the most intelligent primates, their mental inclinations are not as developed as those of humans. However, almost everyone has the ability to learn.
Habitat
Apes inhabit the tropical forests of Asia and Africa. All existing species of primates are characterized by their own habitat and way of life. Chimpanzees, for example, including dwarf ones, live on the ground and in trees. These representatives of primates are distributed in almost all types of African forests and open savannas. However, some species (bonobos, for example) are found only in the humid tropics of the Congo Basin. The eastern and western lowland gorilla subspecies are more common in humid African forests, while representatives of the mountain species prefer temperate forests. These primates rarely climb trees due to their massive size and spend almost all their time on the ground. Gorillas live in groups, and the number of members changes constantly. Orangutans, on the contrary, are loners, as a rule. They inhabit swampy and humid forests, climb trees well, and move from branch to branch somewhat slowly, but quite deftly. Their arms are very long - reaching all the way to their ankles.
Speech
Since ancient times, people have sought to establish contact with animals. Many scientists have studied the issues of teaching speech to great apes. However, the work did not produce the expected results. Primates can only make isolated sounds that bear little resemblance to words, and their vocabulary in general is very limited, especially compared to talking parrots. The fact is that narrow-nosed primates lack certain sound-producing elements in the oral cavity in organs corresponding to humans. This is what explains the inability of individuals to develop skills in pronouncing modulated sounds. Monkeys express their emotions in different ways. So, for example, a call to pay attention to them is with the sound “uh”, passionate desire is manifested by panting, threat or fear is manifested by a piercing, sharp cry. One individual recognizes the mood of another, looks at the expression of emotions, adopting certain manifestations. To convey any information, facial expressions, gestures, and posture are the main mechanisms. Taking this into account, the researchers tried to start talking to monkeys using the same method used by deaf and mute people. Young monkeys learn signs quite quickly. After a fairly short period, people were able to talk with animals.
Perception of beauty
The researchers noted, not without pleasure, that monkeys love to draw. In this case, primates will act quite carefully. If you give a monkey paper, a brush and paints, then in the process of depicting something, he will try not to go beyond the edge of the sheet. In addition, animals are quite skillful in dividing the plane of paper into several parts. Many scientists consider the paintings of primates to be strikingly dynamic, rhythmic, full of harmony in both color and form. More than once it was possible to show the work of animals at art exhibitions. Researchers of primate behavior note that monkeys have an aesthetic sense, although it manifests itself in a rudimentary form. For example, watching animals living in the wild, they saw how individuals sat on the forest edge during sunset and watched in fascination
The similarity of many anatomical and physiological features testifies to the relationship between great apes (anthropoids) and humans. This was first established by Charles Darwin’s colleague, Thomas Huxley. After conducting comparative anatomical studies, he proved that the anatomical differences between humans and higher apes are less significant than between higher and lower apes.
There is much in common in the appearance of humans and apes: large body sizes, long limbs in relation to the body, long neck, broad shoulders, absence of a tail and ischial calluses, a nose protruding from the plane of the face, a similar shape of the auricle. The body of anthropoids is covered with sparse hair without undercoat, through which the skin is visible. Their facial expressions are very similar to human ones. In the internal structure, one should note a similar number of lobes in the lungs, the number of papillae in the kidney, the presence of a vermiform appendix of the cecum, an almost identical pattern of tubercles on the molars, a similar structure of the larynx, etc. The timing of puberty and duration of pregnancy in apes is almost the same as in humans.
An exceptionally close similarity is noted in biochemical parameters: four blood groups, similar reactions of protein metabolism, diseases. Apes in the wild easily become infected by humans. Thus, the reduction in the range of the orangutan in Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan) is largely due to the mortality of monkeys from tuberculosis and hepatitis B acquired from humans. It is no coincidence that great apes are indispensable experimental animals for the study of many human diseases. Humans and anthropoids are also close in the number of chromosomes (46 chromosomes in humans. 48 in chimpanzees, gorilla, orangutan), their shape and size. There is much in common in the primary structure of such important proteins as hemoglobin, myoglobin, etc.
However, there are also significant differences between humans and anthropoids, largely due to human adaptation to walking upright. The human spine is S-shaped, the foot has an arch, which softens shaking when walking and running (Fig. 45). When the body is in a vertical position, the human pelvis takes on the pressure of the internal organs. As a result, its structure differs significantly from the pelvis of anthropoids: it is low and wide, firmly articulated with the sacrum. There are significant differences in the structure of the hand. The human thumb is well developed, opposed to the rest and very mobile. Thanks to this structure of the hand, the hand is capable of varied and subtle movements. Anthropoids, due to their arboreal lifestyle, have hook-shaped hands and a grasping type of foot. When forced to move on the ground, great apes rely on the outer edge of the foot, maintaining balance with the help of the forelimbs. Even a gorilla that walks on its entire foot is never in a fully erect position.
Differences between anthropoids and humans are observed in the structure of the skull and brain. The human skull does not have bone ridges and continuous brow ridges, the brain part predominates over the facial part, the forehead is high, the jaws are weak, the fangs are small, and there is a chin protrusion on the lower jaw. The development of this protrusion is associated with speech. Monkeys, on the contrary, have a highly developed facial part, especially the jaws. The human brain is 2-2.5 times larger than the brain of apes. The parietal, temporal and frontal lobes, in which the most important centers of mental functions and speech are located, are highly developed in humans.
Significant differences lead to the idea that modern apes could not be the direct ancestors of humans.
The difference between you and the monkeys.
Dmitry Kurovsky
Physical differences
Genetic differences
Differences in behavior
Mental differences
Human spirituality is unique
In modern society, through almost all information channels, we are forced to believe that humans are biologically close to monkeys. And that science has discovered such a similarity between human and chimpanzee DNA that leaves no doubt about their origin from a common ancestor. Is this true? Are humans really just evolved apes?
Remarkably, human DNA allows us to perform complex calculations, write poetry, build cathedrals, walk on the moon, while chimpanzees catch and eat each other's fleas. As information accumulates, the gap between humans and apes becomes increasingly clear. Today, science has discovered many differences between us and monkeys, but most people, unfortunately, do not know this. Some of these differences are listed below. They cannot be explained by minor internal changes, rare mutations, or survival of the fittest.
Physical differences
Tails - where did they go? There is no intermediate state “between the tails”.
Many primates and most mammals produce their own vitamin C. 1We, as the “strongest,” obviously lost this ability “somewhere along the way to survival.”
Our newborns are different from baby animals. Their sense organs are quite developed, the weight of the brain and body is much greater than that of monkeys, but at the same time our babies helpless and are more dependent on parents. They can neither stand nor run, while newborn monkeys can hang and move from place to place. Gorilla babies can stand on their feet 20 weeks after birth, but human babies can only stand after 43 weeks. Is this progress? During the first year of life, a person develops functions that baby animals have before birth.1
People need a long childhood. Chimpanzees and gorillas mature at 11–12 years of age. This fact contradicts evolution, since, following logic, survival of the fittest should require a shorter period of childhood.1
We have different skeletal structures. Man as a whole is structured in a completely different way. Our torso is shorter, while monkeys have longer lower limbs.
Monkeys have long arms and short legs, on the contrary, we have short arms and long legs. The arms of the great apes are so long that, taking a slightly bent position, they can reach the ground with them. Cartoonists use this characteristic feature and draw long arms on people they don't like.
A person has a special S-shaped spine with distinct cervical and lumbar curves, monkeys do not have spinal curvature. Humans have the largest total number of vertebrae.
Humans have 12 pairs of ribs, and chimpanzees have 13 pairs.
In humans, the rib cage is deeper and barrel-shaped, and in chimpanzees it is cone-shaped. Additionally, a cross-section of chimpanzee ribs shows that they are rounder than human ribs.
Monkeys' feet look like their hands- their big toe is mobile, directed to the side and opposed to the rest of the fingers, resembling the thumb. In humans, the big toe is directed forward and not opposed to the rest, otherwise we could, having taken off our shoes, easily lift objects with the help of the big toe or even start writing with our feet.
Human feet are unique- they facilitate bipedal walking and cannot compare with the appearance and function of the ape's foot.2 The toes on the human foot are relatively straight, rather than curved like those of apes. Not a single monkey has such a pushing foot as a human, which means that not a single monkey is capable of walking like humans - with long steps and leaving human footprints.
Monkeys have no arch in their feet! When we walk, our foot thanks to the arch cushions all loads, shocks and impacts. It is known that no animal has a springy arch of the foot. If man descended from ancient monkeys, then the arch of his foot should have appeared from scratch. However, the spring vault is not just a small part, but a complex mechanism. Without him, our life would be completely different. Just imagine a world without upright walking, sports, games and long walks! When moving on the ground, monkeys rely on the outer edge of the foot, maintaining balance with the help of the forelimbs.
The structure of the human kidney is unique. 4
A person does not have continuous hair: If humans share a common ancestor with monkeys, where did the thick hair on the monkey’s body go? Our body is relatively hairless (disadvantage) and completely devoid of tactile hair. There are no other intermediate, partially hairy species known.1
Humans have a thick layer of fat that monkeys do not have. Thanks to this, our skin more closely resembles that of a dolphin. 1 The fat layer allows us to stay in cool water for a long time without the risk of hypothermia.
Human skin is rigidly attached to the muscular frame, which is characteristic only of marine mammals.
Humans are the only land creatures that can consciously hold their breath. This seemingly “insignificant detail” is very important, since an essential condition for the ability to speak is a high degree of conscious control of breathing, which we do not share with any other animal living on land.1
Desperate to find a land-based "missing link" and based on these unique human properties, some evolutionists have seriously proposed that we evolved from aquatic animals!
Only humans have the whites of their eyes. All monkeys have completely dark eyes. The ability to determine someone else's intentions and emotions by their eyes is a uniquely human privilege. Coincidence or design? From the eyes of a monkey it is completely impossible to understand not only its feelings, but even the direction of its gaze.
The outline of a person's eye is unusually elongated in the horizontal direction, which increases the field of view.
Humans have a distinct chin, but monkeys do not. In humans, the jaw is strengthened by the mental protrusion - a special ridge running along the lower edge of the jaw bone, and is unknown in any of the monkeys.
Most animals, including chimpanzees, have large mouths. We have a small mouth, with which we can articulate better.
Wide and inverted lips- a characteristic feature of a person; Great apes have very thin lips.
Unlike the great apes, the person has a protruding nose with a well-developed elongated tip.
Only humans can grow long hair on their heads.
Among primates, only humans have blue eyes and curly hair. 1
We have a unique speech apparatus, providing the finest articulation and articulate speech.
In humans, the larynx occupies a much lower position in relation to the mouth than in monkeys. Due to this, our pharynx and mouth form a common “tube”, which plays an important role as a speech resonator. This ensures better resonance - a necessary condition for pronouncing vowel sounds. Interestingly, a drooping larynx is a disadvantage: unlike other primates, humans cannot eat or drink and breathe at the same time without choking.
Man has a special language- thicker, taller and more mobile than those of monkeys. And we have multiple muscle attachments to the hyoid bone.
Humans have fewer interconnected jaw muscles than monkeys– we do not have bone structures for their attachment (very important for the ability to speak).
Humans are the only primate whose face is not covered with hair.
The human skull does not have bony ridges or continuous brow ridges. 4
Human skull has a vertical face with protruding nasal bones, but the skull of monkeys has a sloping face with flat nasal bones.5
Different structure of teeth. We have a closed diastema, that is, the gap into which the protruding canines of primates enter; different shapes, inclinations and chewing surfaces of different teeth. In humans, the jaw is smaller and the dental arch is parabolic, the anterior section has a rounded shape. Monkeys have a U-shaped dental arch. Humans have shorter canines, whereas all apes have prominent canines.
Why are our faces so different from the animal “looks” of monkeys? Where do we have a complex speech apparatus? How plausible is the statement that all these unique characteristics involved in communication were “gifted” to humans by random mutations and selection?
Only humans have whites of the eyes, thanks to which our eyes can convey almost all emotions. The ability to determine someone else's intentions and emotions by their eyes is a uniquely human privilege. From the eyes of a monkey it is completely impossible to understand not only its feelings, but even the direction of its gaze. The contour of the human eye is unusually elongated in the horizontal direction, which increases the field of vision.
Humans can exercise precise motor control that monkeys do not have. and perform delicate physical operations thanks to unique connection between nerves and muscles. In a recent study, Alan Walker, an evolutionary biologist at Pennsylvania State University, discovered “differences in the muscle structure of chimpanzees and humans.”6 In an interview, Walker stated, “It is clear that our muscle fibers do not contract all at once. It turns out that in the human body there is an inhibition of brain function, which prevents damage to the muscular system. Unlike humans, such inhibition does not occur in great apes (or occurs, but not to the same extent).”6
Humans have more motor neurons controlling muscle movements than in chimpanzees. However, to be truly effective, all of these motor neurons must be connected correctly, according to the overall plan. This plan, like many other features, is unique to humans.6
The human hand is absolutely unique. It can rightfully be called a miracle of design.7 The articulation in the human hand is much more complex and skillful than that of primates, as a result of which only a person can work with different tools. A person can gesture with a brush and also clench it into a fist. The human wrist is more flexible than the rigid wrist of a chimpanzee.
Our thumb well developed, strongly opposed to others and very mobile. Monkeys have hook-shaped hands with a short and weak thumb. No element of culture would exist without our unique thumb! Coincidence or design?
The human hand is capable of two unique compressions that monkeys cannot do., - precision (for example, holding a baseball) and force (grabbing a bar with your hand).7 A chimpanzee cannot produce a strong squeeze, while the use of force is the main component of a power grip. Precision grip is used for movements that require precision and precision. Precision is achieved through the use of the thumb and multiple types of finger compressions. Interestingly, these two types of grip are a unique property of the human hand and are not found in nature anywhere else. Why do we have this “exception”?
Human fingers are straight, shorter and more mobile than those of chimpanzees.
Foot of man and monkey.
These unique attributes of man confirm the Genesis story—they were given to him as part of the ability to “subdue the earth and have dominion over the animals,” creativity, and change the world (Genesis 1:28). They reflect the gulf that separates us from the monkeys.
Only man has true upright posture.. Sometimes, when monkeys are carrying food, they can walk or run on two limbs. However, the distance they travel this way is quite limited. In addition, the way monkeys walk on two legs is completely different from how humans walk on two legs. The unique human approach requires a complex integration of the many skeletal and muscular features of our hips, legs and feet.5
Humans are able to support our body weight on our legs while walking because our thighs meet at the knees to form the tibia. unique bearing angle at 9 degrees (in other words, we have “knees out”). Conversely, chimpanzees and gorillas have widely spaced, straight legs with a bearing angle of almost zero. These animals distribute their body weight on their feet while walking, swaying their body from side to side and moving using the familiar “monkey gait.”8
The special location of our ankle joint allows the tibia to make direct movements relative to the foot while walking.
The human femur has a special edge for muscle attachment (Linea aspera), which is absent in apes.5
In humans, the position of the pelvis relative to the longitudinal axis of the body is unique, moreover, the structure of the pelvis itself differs significantly from the pelvis of monkeys - all this is necessary for upright walking. Our relative width of the iliac wings of the pelvis (width/length x 100) is much greater (125.5) than that of chimpanzees (66.0). When viewed from above, these wings curve forward like the steering knuckles on an airplane. Unlike humans, the wings of the iliac bones in monkeys protrude to the sides, like the handlebars of a bicycle.5 With such a pelvis, a monkey is simply not able to walk like a human! Based on this feature alone, it can be argued that humans are radically different from apes.
People have unique knees– they can be fixed at full extension, making the kneecap stable, and are located closer to the mid-sagittal plane, being under the center of gravity of our body.
The human femur is longer than the chimpanzee femur and usually has a raised linea aspera that holds the linea aspera of the femur under the manubrium.8
The person has true inguinal ligament, which is not found in apes.4
The human head is located on top of the vertebral ridge, whereas in apes it is “suspended” forward, and not upward. We have a special shock-absorbing connection between the head and the spine.
Man has a large vaulted skull, taller and rounder. Monkey skull simplified.5
The complexity of the human brain is much greater than that of monkeys.. It is approximately 2.5 times larger than the brain of great apes in volume and 3–4 times larger in mass. A person has a highly developed cerebral cortex, in which the most important centers of the psyche and speech are located. Unlike monkeys, only humans have a complete Sylvian fissure, consisting of the anterior horizontal, anterior ascending and posterior branches.
Humans have the longest gestation period among primates. For some, this may be another fact that contradicts the theory of evolution.
Human hearing is different from that of chimpanzees and most other apes. Human hearing is characterized by a relatively high sensitivity of perception - from two to four kilohertz - it is in this frequency range that we hear important sound information of spoken language. Chimpanzee ears are relatively insensitive to such frequencies. Their auditory system is most strongly tuned to sounds that peak at either one kilohertz or eight kilohertz.
A recent study discovered even more subtle mood and the selective ability of individual cells located in the auditory zone of the human cerebral cortex: “A single human auditory neuron showed an amazing ability to distinguish subtle differences in frequencies, up to one tenth of an octave - and this compared with the sensitivity of a cat of about one octave and half a full octave in the monkey.”9 This level of recognition is not needed for simple speech discrimination, but is necessary for to listen to music and appreciate all its beauty.
Why are there such difficult-to-explain differences as being born face down rather than up, the ability to walk on two legs, and speech? Why do monkeys never need haircuts? Why do people need such sensitive hearing, other than to enjoy music?
The human hand is absolutely unique. It can rightfully be called a miracle of design. She is capable of two compressions that monkeys cannot do - precise and forceful. A chimpanzee cannot produce a strong squeeze. Precision grip is used for movements that require precision and precision. It is interesting that these two types of grip are a unique property of the human hand and are not found in nature in anyone else. Why do we have this “exception”?
Differences in behavior
Humans are the only creatures capable of crying, expressing strong emotional feelings. 1 Only a person sheds tears in sadness.
We are the only ones who can laugh when reacting to a joke or expressing emotion. 1 The “smile” of a chimpanzee is purely ritual, functional and has nothing to do with feelings. By showing their teeth, they make it clear to their relatives that there is no aggression involved in their actions. The “laugh” of monkeys sounds completely different and is more reminiscent of the sounds made by a out of breath dog, or an asthma attack in a person. Even the physical aspect of laughter is different: humans laugh only while exhaling, while monkeys laugh both while exhaling and inhaling.
In monkeys, adult males never provide food for others, 4 in humans is the main responsibility of men.
We are the only creatures that blush due to relatively unimportant events. 1
Man builds houses and makes fire. The lower monkeys do not care about housing at all; the higher monkeys build only temporary nests. 4
Among primates, no one can swim like humans. We are the only ones whose heart rate automatically slows down when immersed in water and moves around in it, and does not increase, like in land animals.
The social life of people is expressed in the formation of the state is a purely human phenomenon. The main (but not the only) difference between human society and the relations of dominance and subordination formed by primates is the awareness by people of their semantic meaning.
Monkeys have a fairly small territory, and the man is big. 4
Our newborn children have weak instincts; They acquire most of their skills through training. Man, unlike monkeys, acquires its own special form of existence “in freedom”, in an open relationship with living beings and, above all, with people, while an animal is born with an already established form of its existence.
“Relative hearing” is a uniquely human ability. 23 Humans have the unique ability to recognize pitch based on the relationship of sounds to each other. This ability is called "relative pitch". Some animals, such as birds, can easily recognize a series of repeated sounds, but if the notes are shifted slightly down or up (i.e., changing the key), the melody becomes completely unrecognizable to birds. Only humans can guess a melody whose key has been changed even a semitone up or down. A person's relative hearing is another confirmation of the uniqueness of a person.
People wear clothes. Man is the only creature that looks out of place without clothes. All animals look funny in clothes!
For an introduction to the many abilities we often take for granted, read "Talents: Unappreciated Gifts".
