Life of Mammals – Food for Thought

by GARCIA, Edwin Joseph S.

2010-18666

STS X2

Scientific studies show that humans and apes share the same roots and ancestry, and some are even claiming that humans may have originated from apes. Focusing on the living and behavior patterns of apes show a few evidences of possible human ancestry.

For example, orangutans are similar to humans by exhibiting the following actions and traits: orangutans create and use tools similar to the ones that humans use, they are also either left or right-handed like humans, they have big brains and they have a mental calendar and map, young orangutans spend more time with their mothers than any other apes, orangutans are really socially creatures but tend to live apart only due to the scarcity of food, and like humans, they return to their social circles and are able to keep track of fellow orangutan individuals after travelling very far and being away for a long time.

Chimpanzees, on the other hand, are also similar to humans due to the following reasons: they are also able to acquire skills by observing humans, they develop their own culture within themselves, they also show signs of bullying by forming a group and attacking individuals, they supplement meat with leaves which is similar to humans when we eat meals with vegetables, and sometimes, chimpanzees are greedy and prefers not to share their belongings with other chimpanzees.

Lastly, Gorillas are able to stand upright in order to travel across flooded areas, which is similar to humans.

However, humans were able to differentiate themselves from apes and other mammals because of their continued progress and developments in their way of living. This started with the domestication of plants and other animals. Domestication of animals provides, apart from food, additional power that humans are unable to exert and as a result, the animals are able to help them harvest plants and crops. Additionally, in the past, the population of animal species on earth is determined by the availability of food, but humans were able to change that by creating ways to increase the supply of food, and thus, the number of humans increased because of this. It is also that because of the increase in food, division of labor among humans was also created in order to eliminate the need for human beings to fight each other for food. Soon thereafter, trading, development of the arts and technology, and other advancements in various fields were created. Nowadays, humans are able to be efficient and maximize the resources the available to them. Humans are becoming more ambitious in their goals, such as going outside of earth in order to satisfy their search for knowledge and the truth.

Domestication of resources was really a great help in the development of our society. And it’s quite inspiring to see other species handle tools the same way we do. It is really a relief that we are born on this age.

But it is true that with all of the technologies and other many things that we already have achieved, now, instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, it is time we control the population to allow the survival of the environment.