(May 1, 2014 at 10:45 pm)Rahul Wrote:(May 1, 2014 at 4:08 pm)ManMachine Wrote: Humans are primates of the genus homo. Apes; chimpanzee, bonobos, gorillas, orang-utans and gibbons (lesser apes) are also primates.
But humans are not apes.
Humans and Chimps are much more closely related to each other than either species is related to the Gorilla. And all three of these species are much, much more closely related to one another than any of them are to the Orangutan.
So how, in any logical sense, can you group both the Chimps and Orangutans as apes but not Humans?
What the fuck do you think humans are? The children of Adam and Eve in some super special, exalted state of existence, divorced from all of our animal cousins?
The reason they used to group chimps,gorillas, and orangutans as apes is because of how linean taxonomy works. It is done through comparative anatomony. When you look at it that way, bipedalism and the distorted skulls of humans are significant enough to class us has a different group.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
