# What are the "ten things" all/only humans have in common? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2005, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314 "2005-09-06T06:50:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/1 "2005-09-06T06:50:27Z")
In Robert Heinlein’s 1957 SF novel _Citizen of the Galaxy_ ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen\_of\_the\_Galaxy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_of_the_Galaxy)), the protagonist Thorby, a former slave on the planet Jubbul, is adopted by a ship/family of the “Free Traders,” star-roaming merchants having no home but their ships. He makes friends with a guest of the captain’s, an anthropologist named “Margaret Mader.” :rolleyes: In one conversation, she mentions casually to Thorby that “There are only ten things all men have in common with all other men and not with animals – five of them learned, five of them part of our biology.” (Or words to that effect; I don’t have my copy handy.) She does not elaborate further. What are those ten things? I would have assumed they would be the first thing an anthropology student learns, like F = ma in physics. But I asked an anthropology prof once and he was clueless. Perhaps this was some idea current in anthropology in the '50s but since discredited? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/2 "2005-09-06T12:22:58Z")
I’m sure that at least one or two items in such a list have been discredited or refuted since the 1950s. For example, it was thought at that time that making and using tools was absolutely and exclusively human behavior, but that’s now known not to be the case. Chimpanzees have been shown not only to make simple tools, but also to pass traditional behavior (i.e., culture) to their young. Further, experiments with bonobos have shown them capable of rudimentary numeracy. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/3 "2005-09-06T18:31:34Z")
Not sure whether to move this to CS or IMHO. Moving to CS for now. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/4 "2005-09-06T22:59:30Z")
The two that I read many years ago were: 1). Drink when not thirsty 2). Have sex all year long ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/5 "2005-09-06T23:01:40Z")
1. Drink milk well into adulthood. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/6 "2005-09-06T23:05:40Z")
“There are only ten things all men have in common with all other men and not with animals – five of them learned, five of them part of our biology.” I’ll take a guess at two of the biological ones: 1. Only humans have philtrums. (I hope that’s spelled right, the little groove down the center of your upper lip.) 2. The gluteus maximus is only ‘maximus’ in humans. Something to do with it being mainly involved in keeping your trunk upright, a different hip muscle is larger in other species. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/7 "2005-09-06T23:11:14Z")
All humans possess and use complex language skills to communicate. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/8 "2005-09-06T23:32:57Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > 1. Drink milk well into adulthood. Well, adult cats do that, and not all adult humans do. ---
**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/9 "2005-09-06T23:49:32Z")
[Apparently](http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/teenagers/mg18524891.100), humans are the only species to have a separate adolescence phase. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/10 "2005-09-07T02:28:55Z")
Sympathy, empathy, remorse and affection. Guess you could lump them into one category like “higher emotions” or something, and it could also be argued that not “all” humans have all or some of them. ---
**Author:** ![Pensandfeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Pensandfeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pensandfeathers)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/11 "2005-09-07T03:00:59Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Well, adult cats do that, and not all adult humans do. Milk actually makes adult cats sick - the only time their bodies can properly digest milk is when they’re kittens. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t like milk - and if you put it in front of them, they’ll drink it - they’ll just have the shits shortly after. Technically, that goes for adult humans as well. Milk is meant for babies. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/12 "2005-09-07T03:25:32Z")
Untrue. Some adult cats can quite happily drink milk with no ill effects while others can’t. Just as some adult humans can and some can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/13 "2005-09-07T06:33:02Z")
a learned one which I’m sure would be on the list - Storing information outside of our bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/14 "2005-09-07T08:34:40Z")
Dreams? A sense of future and past? Jaw muscle tension? ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/15 "2005-09-07T09:00:22Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > 2). Have sex all year long If you mean recreational sex with no real intent to procreate, i.e. just for fun, I think [bonobos do that](http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/Behavior/Spring2004/laird/Mating.htm). From [here](http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/pan_pani.htm): > [@](#): > > When it comes to bonobo sex, no rules apply - everybody does it with everybody else. Bonobos use sex to appease, to promote the sharing of food, to make up after fights, to gain favors, and generally to strengthen relationships. Sexual encounters are strikingly casual, almost more affectionate than erotic. I saw a documentary about bonobos that said basically everyone gets it on with everyone else, except mothers and their sexually mature male offspring. Large-scale orgies and masturbation-fests are often observed after a sudden shock or crisis situation; it’s like a way for them to calm down. Dolphins have recreational sex, too, if I remember correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/16 "2005-09-07T12:36:57Z")
All Humans have an uncontrolable instinct to meddle in things that cannot possibly concern them. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/17 "2005-09-07T12:54:02Z")
> [@Max the Immortal](#): > > Dreams? > > A sense of future and past? > > Jaw muscle tension? Well, dogs certainly dream. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/18 "2005-09-08T20:47:41Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Well, dogs certainly dream. Yeah, I sometimes think my dog’s dreams are better than mine based on some of the noises she makes! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/19 "2005-09-08T20:56:25Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > 2). Have sex all year long Reminds me of the Tom Waits song, **Tango Till They’re Sore**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314/20 "2005-09-08T21:04:40Z")
For a biology thing, would opposable thumbs count? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-things-all-only-humans-have-in-common/320314.md?page=2)