And thus, opening the door to all sorts of abhorrent behavior, because after all, "we are JUST animals". How strange it must be to have a world view that puts ones self on the same level as a dog, or a cow, or a sheep, or even a monkey.
What makes humans different from others in the animal kingdom is consciousness. The ability to over-ride instinct, the ability to determine “right and wrong.”
This also gives humans the ability to consciously create.
All of this is in the image of God.
If we are to look scientifically for human uniqueness, this is where we would look. However, consciousness is also very resistant to the methods of science to know.