In what ways are humans like the other primates? in what ways are we unique?

In what ways are humans like the other primates?

Primates and humans have taking hands and feet that let them hang from branches, grab food, and, in some primates, use tools. The first digit in many primates and humans are opposable and at least some, if not all, of the digits, have nails.

Unlike the eyes of shrews and squirrels, which sit on each side of the head so that the two fields of vision do not overlap, the eyes of primates and humans are shifted forward to the front of the face. This produces an overlapping binocular vision that lets the brain judge distance precisely—important to an animal moving through the trees.

In what ways are we unique?

The first hominids were australopithecines. The ability to walk upright on two legs marks the beginning of hominid evolution. Humans diverge from apes in numerous areas of anatomy related to bipedal locomotion. Because humans walk on two legs, their vertebral column is more curved than an ape’s, and the human spinal cord exits from the bottom rather than the back of the skull. The human pelvis has become broader and more bowl-shaped, with the bones curving forward to center the weight of the body over the legs.