# What Are Humans Good At Compared To Other Animals \[Better Explanation of Question in Post\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186 "2016-06-12T14:38:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DudeManBro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@DudeManBro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudeManBro)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/21 "2016-06-12T19:28:51Z")
Extreme dexterity/control of the body, especially the hands and fingers that is adaptable to a wide range of movements. You will never be able to teach a chimp for example, how to excell at ballet, action pistol shooting, gymnastics, etc… Our hand-eye coordination is probably among the best too. Teaching a primate to hand write or draw portraits well would probably be very frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/22 "2016-06-12T19:46:59Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Our vocal cords seem good at making many sounds which helps with communication. The sheer variety and complexity of sounds that humans are capable of making is probably unmatched. Some birds are excellent mimics, and many animals can make sounds that we can’t. But people can mimic an enormous range of sounds, not just with vocal chords but by whistling, clucking our tongues, snapping fingers or clapping our hands. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/23 "2016-06-12T19:51:29Z")
Our ability to hate & kill one another for any reason we like, or no reason at all. What other animal does that? Oh and porn too. We have been drawing dicks & boobs on everything since we learn we could. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/24 "2016-06-12T19:53:12Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The sheer variety and complexity of sounds that humans are capable of making is probably unmatched. Some birds are excellent mimics, and many animals can make sounds that we can’t. But people can mimic an enormous range of sounds, not just with vocal chords but by whistling, clucking our tongues, snapping fingers or clapping our hands. …farting, burping… ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/25 "2016-06-12T20:00:16Z")
[This “What If” article](https://what-if.xkcd.com/44/) claims that humans are uniquely good at accurate and precise throwing. It says: > [@](#): > > [W]hile there are other animals that use projectiles, we’re just about the only animal that can grab a random object and reliably nail a target. In fact, we’re so good at it that some researchers have suggested rock-throwing played a central role in the evolution of the modern human brain. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/26 "2016-06-12T20:11:37Z")
Dolphins can toss volleyballs and frisbees with excellent aim. ETA: Yes, frisbees. They fling them off the end of their snout, which doesn’t seem very aimable, but they can do it. More ETA: And [archerfish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archerfish) shoot bugs off of overhead branches by shooting water pellets at them. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/27 "2016-06-12T20:16:54Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Dolphins can toss volleyballs and frisbees with excellent aim… Yeah? And assfish don’t need no stinking lungs at all. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/28 "2016-06-12T20:17:27Z")
Humans invented the wheel, New York, wars, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/29 "2016-06-12T20:23:17Z")
Language skill is a big biggie. Roger Brown, a linguist of some note during the 1970-1980 era when there were a lot of animal language projects with chimpanzees and others, pointed out that advanced language skill makes knowledge cumulative over generations. No longer does each generation have to rediscover one lifetime’s worth of life skills afresh. But instead, each generation inherits the life skills of its predecessors through language, and each generation can build on that to develop new life skills to pass on to subsequent generations. Cultural development (which includes all facets of culture, science, technology, etc.) can take off and grow at an unparalleled pace not seen anywhere else in the animal kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/30 "2016-06-12T20:27:13Z")
I’ll turn around a previous poster’s comment, and say that we’re awfully good at socializing. We’re not unique among animals for that, no, but with that and our memory/intelligence and our endurance – messing with even one human is a good bid for a death sentence. Other humans will gang up on the perpetrator, who probably won’t survive. Sure enough, we often enough turn on each other. We’re not unique among animals for that, either, however despicable our motives sometimes are. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/31 "2016-06-12T20:32:42Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Dolphins can toss volleyballs and frisbees with excellent aim. > > ETA: Yes, frisbees. They fling them off the end of their snout, which doesn’t seem very aimable, but they can do it. > > More ETA: And [archerfish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archerfish) shoot bugs off of overhead branches by shooting water pellets at them. However, dolphins aren’t remotely as good as humans. And archerfish can’t do it with anything but water. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/32 "2016-06-12T20:41:53Z")
> [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > I’ll turn around a previous poster’s comment, and say that we’re awfully good at socializing. We’re not unique among animals for that, no, but with that and our memory/intelligence and our endurance – messing with even one human is a good bid for a death sentence. Other humans will gang up on the perpetrator, who probably won’t survive. > > Sure enough, we often enough turn on each other. We’re not unique among animals for that, either, however despicable our motives sometimes are. And we’re extremely good at repressing our aggressiveness when necessary. I read a article recently - I think it might have been in _Scientific Amerian_ that pointed out that 500 humans can board an airplane and sit in crowded and uncomfortable conditions for many hours without a single fight breaking out. With most other animals, half of them would be dead when the aircraft arrived if they were subjected to such conditions. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/33 "2016-06-12T21:10:19Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Oh and porn too. We have been drawing dicks & boobs on everything since we learn we could. What else was there to do then? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/34 "2016-06-12T22:33:30Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Not too many other animals are known to use tools. Not too many, but not none. Admittedly, no other animals use tools as complex as those that we make. But quite a few animals use primitive tools. Primates use tools for hunting, gathering food, and even for fighting each other. Bonobos and chimps will sometimes make moss into a “sponge” of sorts that they use for giving themselves sponge baths. Gorillas have been seen using sticks to measure water depth. Elephants create fly swatters and back scratchers. Crows are smart little buggers. They create tools out of twigs and occasionally bits of wire, and have even been observed to make toys for themselves (which is very rare among animals). More details here: > **[Tool use by non-humans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_use_by_animals)** > > Tool use by non-humans is a phenomenon in which a non-human animal uses any kind of tool in order to achieve a goal such as acquiring food and water, grooming, combat, defence, communication, recreation or construction. Originally thought to be a skill possessed only by humans, some tool use requires a sophisticated level of cognition. There is considerable discussion about the definition of what constitutes a tool and therefore which behaviours can be considered true examples of tool use. A... > [@Foggy](#): > > Our ability to hate & kill one another for any reason we like, or no reason at all. > What other animal does that? Chimpanzees. Not only do small groups of chimpanzees fight and kill each other like human gangs fighting each other, but chimpanzees have even engaged in large scale warfare (this was quite a shock to Jane Goodall, who thought that only humans waged war). Cite: [Gombe Chimpanzee War - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gombe_Chimpanzee_War) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/35 "2016-06-12T22:49:59Z")
Smell. No, not sense of smell, but odor. One theory about human evolution was that humans smelled so bad that predators avoided them. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/36 "2016-06-12T22:55:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > But we don’t simply \*use \*objects that we find lying around. We _invent_ technology that wouldn’t exist without us. There’s actually a number of examples of animals modifying found objects into tools. Wikipedia has a good [summary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_use_by_animals) of them. Admittedly, none have invented the iPhone yet, but give 'em time … give 'em time… ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/37 "2016-06-12T23:15:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > And we’re extremely good at repressing our aggressiveness when necessary. I read a article recently - I think it might have been in _Scientific Amerian_ that pointed out that 500 humans can board an airplane and sit in crowded and uncomfortable conditions for many hours without a single fight breaking out. With most other animals, half of them would be dead when the aircraft arrived if they were subjected to such conditions. You can convince a human to pay a dentist to inflict incredible pain on them, in order to avoid more painful problems in the future. You can try to convince a chimp of this, one trained in sign language, but the chimp will always bite the dentist. So yes, I agree. On a similar note, you could convince a human to undergo short term pain for long term gain, for instance, make an army rush to defend a certain point because otherwise you will lose. When this occurred hundreds of years ago, when many soldiers rode horses… well let’s just say you couldn’t explain to the horses to hurry. Humans live on six continents, ranging from areas hot to cold, humid to dry and even changeable. This is mainly due to our intelligence and tool use, of course. Just picture an animal from the African savanna trying to survive in the arctic. It can’t. Humans were able to do so. They saw some animals with thick skins and fur, killed them, took those skins and fur and made warm clothing out of them. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/38 "2016-06-12T23:25:42Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > And we’re extremely good at repressing our aggressiveness when necessary. I read a article recently - I think it might have been in _Scientific Amerian_ that pointed out that 500 humans can board an airplane and sit in crowded and uncomfortable conditions for many hours without a single fight breaking out. With most other animals, half of them would be dead when the aircraft arrived if they were subjected to such conditions. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/39 "2016-06-12T23:39:22Z")
We have the ability to track what other people are looking at, something only dogs (and not wolves) are good at. We’ve apparently evolved for it; both we and dogs are unusual in having lots of visible whites to our eyes, which makes tracking where someone is looking easier. We are unusually good at locating the direction of a sound, and isolating one sound out of a cacophony. Which is why we can listen in to or participate in a conversation in a crowded room full of other people talking. Humans are very good at heat endurance, probably a side effect of our adaptation for endurance running. We’re good at finding and removing skin parasites, due to having hands and no fur. As for violence, humans are actually much \*less _violent than most animals, including animals with mild reputations like deer. Humans aren’t especially_ violent; \*what we are is _lethal._ Our skills and weapons outpace our instincts; we kill in incidents where other animals would only mildly injure one another. Notice how unusual it is for one human to beat another to death with their bare hands, and how it’s (accurately) considered indicative of extreme brutality on the part of the beater? It’s hard to kill with your bare hands, especially accidentally; pick up even simple weapons like a rock, knife or club though and it’s much easier to kill with a momentary impulse. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186/40 "2016-06-13T00:02:57Z")
It’s not just what others are looking at. No other animal besides humans and dogs understands a pointed finger intuitively, either. The other great apes can be taught to understand pointing, but only with great difficulty. This, despite most animals having clearly visible appendages which could easily be used for pointing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-humans-good-at-compared-to-other-animals-better-explanation-of-question-in-post/757186.md?page=3)