Transcendence

[Pesto]

One possible answer . . .

The Neanderthals buried their dead. I believe they are the first breed known to do so. Burying the dead is certainly something animals don't do.

IIRC, some ants stack their dead in pyramids.

 

[RedAndy]

The actions of Neanderthals are irrelevant to this discussion, as Neanderthals are not part of our lineage.

I recently read "The Neandertal Enigma" by James Shreeve, a book that outlines some of the history of palaeoanthropology and the hypotheses that explain human origins.

Shreeve himself seems to tend towards the notion that although they are not part of our lineage, Neanderthals were nonetheless "human" in the sense in which we usually use it - sapient beings. The term "human", he argues, is not a term exclusive to Homo sapiens sapiens. Although Shreeve is a journalist foremost and not a practicing scientist, I find his conclusions intriguing.

 

[FarBeyond]

One possible answer . . .

The Neanderthals buried their dead. I believe they are the first breed known to do so. Burying the dead is certainly something animals don't do.

Not sure what this has to do with anything, especially as we do not share a lineage with the Neanderthals. However, the Neanderthals are a very interesting subject; one which I will explore in a future thread.

 

[trivista]

At what point did human transcend the animal kingdom? When did we finally become awake and understand that there is more than just survival?

January 23.

 

[GoSeminoles!]

At what point did human transcend the animal kingdom? When did we finally become awake and understand that there is more than just survival?

When we invented college football.

 

[Contracelsus]

When we invented college football.

And on the 8th day God created University of Florida and bade them smite the 'Noles using the power of the Gator.

Selah!

 

[Hydra009]

" I don't consider myself a fungus, plant or protist, I'm eukaryotic, heterotrophic, I don't have cell walls and I'm capable of locomotion, I respond to my environment, and I feed by consuming other organisms, so I consider myself an metazoan."

You're the first person I've met who talks this way!

Yeah. It was saved up for whenever someone claims that humans aren't animals (by using the colloquial definition rather than the scientific classification), which was sort of the impression I got from the OP, but that was cleared up right as I was typing my response.

 

[Bombila]

Elephants appear to visit their dead and to touch and move their bones as if recalling them in some way. This seems as aware as various human death customs (and similar to some human cultures, where the dead are/were ritually washed or dressed or otherwise handled years after death).

Doesn't Carl Sagan have something to say regarding origins of consciousness? Anyone read recently? It's too many years since I read those books for me to venture a summary. (Time to read 'em again.)

 

[Contracelsus]

Elephants appear to visit their dead and to touch and move their bones as if recalling them in some way. This seems as aware as various human death customs (and similar to some human cultures, where the dead are/were ritually washed or dressed or otherwise handled years after death).

Actually, since Elephants are not as high up the chain of Creation as humans, it is likely that they are simply evil and just like to play with bones and dead things.

Or at least that's my exegetical analysis of the situation. It fits in with the "ostriches are bad parents" model of

[BIBLE]Lamentations 4:3[/BIBLE]

-Dr. Contracelsus,
Exegetical Biologist

 

[truthmonger89]

At what point did human transcend the animal kingdom? When did we finally become awake and understand that there is more than just survival?

Cue the song Also sprach Zarathustra.





When we invented beer.

 

[TeddyKGB]

Not sure what this has to do with anything, especially as we do not share a lineage with the Neanderthals.

While Neandertal is not our ancestor, we do actually share lineage with it. We have a common ancestor, probably fairly recently.