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To: Alberta's Child
Why is it that there are numerous species that share all of these characteristics (eyes, gills, legs, etc.) living today, but for the characteristics that specifically define a human being (a bipod that walks upright, thinks rationally, shows emotion, etc.) there are no other species that share them?

There are lots of bipedal critters -- kangaroos and birds, for instance. Most great apes are semi-bipedal. What do you mean by "thinks rationally?" If you mean "capable of planning and executing those plans" then wolves and killer whales could be considered rational, as could any number of apes and monkeys. As for showing emotions, just about any higher animal out there shows emotions at one time or another. Birds get excited (at least my cockatiels do), dogs get angry or happy, etc.

104 posted on 06/07/2002 2:06:31 PM PDT by Junior
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To: Junior
If you mean "capable of planning and executing those plans" then wolves and killer whales could be considered rational, as could any number of apes and monkeys.

No, I mean capable of planning and executing plans without being constrained by their genetic limitations. A wolf, for example, by definition lives in a den -- it can never train itself to create a spider web to catch a deer. In fact, it can never train itself to do anything.

123 posted on 06/07/2002 2:26:10 PM PDT by Alberta's Child
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