You want to know what commonalities connect humans and animals? Then you've come to the right place! Ever since I started campaigning for animal rights, I have often felt how little value many people place on the lives of animals. Many people still want to save endangered species such as polar bears or orangutans - but when it comes to cows, pigs, chickens and other "farm animals", their compassion stops abruptly. "Animals are not humans" and "Humans are simply more intelligent" are popular justifications for the exploitation of animals and the unavoidable Cruelty to animals. But are we humans and animals really so different?
Whether dolphin, dog, cat or cow - it's the 21st century and it's time to become aware of the similarities between humans and animals in order to give all animals the life they deserve. Here are 10 similarities that will show you just how similar we are to our animal friends. Let's go!
Here is in advance a short Overview for you:
- Awareness
- Social life
- Cleanliness
- Intelligence
- Feelings
- Self-awareness
- Diseases
- Voice
- Face recognition
- Will to live
What commonalities connect humans and animals? 10 wonderful examples
Of course, we humans are not exactly like animals. But animals are not the exact opposite of us humans either. We are not completely different, but only in degrees. Biologically, we humans are even animalsHomo sapiens is defined as a higher mammal from the primate order and belongs to the great ape family. A DNA comparison between humans and chimpanzees confirms this classification. Between 96 and 99 percent of the DNA matches.₁
But basically, every animal has something in common with us humans. I'd like to introduce you to 10 of them - and I'm sure I'll be able to surprise you with one or two of them.
1. both experience the world consciously
Just like us humans, animals have a central nervous system₂ and therefore also experience the world very consciously. They can hear, smell, taste, feel and see and perceive stimuli from the environment. Many animals can do these things even better than humans.
Notice: Most people justify their carnality with the argument "Plants have feelings too". Even though plants are naturally living beings, according to current research they do not have a brain. They only react to light, touch and other external stimuli. However, they have no consciousness and do not need it.
2. both maintain a social life
What else do humans and animals have in common? For example, the fact that they maintain an orderly social life. A look at the "Pecking order" of chickens confirms this. In this hierarchy of the community, every chicken knows its place - friendships are also formed.₃ Pigs also show very sophisticated, socially competitive behavior.₄
3. both are clean
We humans are not the only ones, who like it clean! An example from the animal world? Even though the term "dirty pig" has become established in the language of many people, pigs are totally clean animals. As soon as they are given the opportunity, for example, they make sure not to defecate where they sleep or eat. They usually also have a kind of "toilet corner" that they use.
4. both are intelligent
What do humans and animals have in common? Their intelligence, of course. Vertebrates have a central nervous systemthat from Brain and spinal cord. Studies have shown, for example, that pigs are even smarter than the average three-year-old child.₅ And crows are inventive, gifted with language and able to use tools. There are countless examples of intelligence in the animal kingdom that support this similarity to us humans.
Tip: Also, feel free to read through my post with the tips we People learn from animals can!
5. both have feelings
Most people are probably familiar with feelings from the animal world from their dogs or cats. In fact, however, almost all animals show feelings such as Joy, Fear or also Faithful can feel. For example, many chickens and turkeys like hugs and cows like to listen to music - behaviors that surprise most people. Also moral conduct has already been demonstrated in the form of empathy, emotional contagion, perspective-taking, reconciliation after an argument, and sharing and consoling.₆
It is scientifically proven that Animals emotions have. Nevertheless, many people still put animals on the same level as plants.
6. both have a self-perception
Not all, but many animals recognize themselves in the mirror. For example, apes, magpies, dolphins and pigs. They all have the so-called Mirror test and showed that you recognize yourself. The similarities between humans and animals also include self-awareness.₇
7. both develop diseases
Even though I do not want any form of Animal testing reject, the Medicine much diseased animals learn. For example, about the connection between stress and sudden heart failure, which often occurs in birds, rabbits and monkeys.
Like us humans, animals can also develop food intolerances or allergies. The symptoms are similar, but in dogs, cats or horses, for example, they mainly affect gastrointestinal complaints and the skin.₈
Notice: The cattle epidemic and the coronavirus pandemic are a consequence of our treatment of animals. Rethinking this is one of the things we need to do, we humans from the covid19 pandemic have to learn.
8. both have one vote
What else connects humans and animals? The voice, of course. By definition, this is the ability to produce sounds and tones through vibrations of the vocal cords in combination with resonance phenomena. We humans may not be able to directly translate and understand the mooing of a cow or the crowing of a rooster - yet the animals communicate with each other like this. In advocating for the rights of animals in our society - which we humans give them - we must nevertheless give them a "human" voice in order to improve their living conditions.
9. both can remember faces
What else do humans and animals have in common? We are both pretty good at remembering and recognizing faces. In a study conducted by the University of Cambridge Sheep for example, can match the faces of President Obama with an astonishing accuracy rate.₉ Also Crows and Chickens can memorize faces and recall their memories of them. However, the ability to recognize faces does not only apply to human faces, but also to the faces of the animals themselves.
10. BOTH WANT TO LIVE
"All animals know it, except man, that the highest goal of life is joy." - this Animal welfare quote by the former British writer Samuel Butler is representative of another similarity between humans and animals: the will to live. The way we humans treat the majority of animals, however, is how the feeling arises, that we don't really care about the animals' will to live and their happiness. In the Factory farming cows, pigs or chickens try to break out of the killing pens as soon as they smell the blood of their fellow animals. Even small fish try to escape from predators such as sharks or jump back into the water when they are pulled onto the boat by fishermen. No human or animal that consciously experiences our world wants to die voluntarily.
use the similarities between humans and animals to treat each other with respect
Respectful towards animals - and consequently also more respectful towards other people! Because let's be honest: how big would the psychological hurdle be to harm another human being if it is already considered reprehensible in our society to harm animals?
We have the power, therefore the choice and therefore the responsibility. We are in the comfortable position of being able to exploit animals - but should we do this if it is not necessary? Humans and animals have so much in common. We should use the common ground to better put ourselves in the shoes of animals. And think twice about whether it is worth it that a sentient being pays with its entire life so that we can enjoy its body parts for 4 minutes on a sandwich.
Humans and animals are similar in so many of their behaviors and ways of thinking - even if they may differ significantly from us humans visually (with fur and feathers). We should treat all animals equally and fairly in order to protect the Speciesism to defeat
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Or can you think of other similarities between humans and animals? Then feel free to write me a comment!
Stay animal-friendly,
PS: Today you learned what humans and animals have in common. At animal welfare blog you will get a lot more tips! For example, learn what you do against factory farming in everyday life simply by following your heart.
References:
₁ H. Dambeck: Gene comparison - chimpanzees and humans almost identical (as at: 31.08.2005), https://t1p.de/metg. [12.04.2021].
₂ Toshiyuki Saito (2002): Functional study of the central nervous system for farm animal husbandry, https://t1p.de/azf2. [12.04.2021].
₃ PETA Deutschland e.V.: The chicken - 10 fascinating facts about chickens (as of June 2006), https://www.peta.de/themen/huehner. [12.04.2021].
₄ Hope and Cogen Bohanec (2013): The Ultimate Betrayal, Is There Happy Meat?, https://t1p.de/1qye. [12.04.2021].
₅ E. Petras: Pigs are intelligent, http://www.agtiere.de/tierschutz-info/info-schweine. [12.04.2021].
₆ J. Brunke: Moral behavior in animals, https://t1p.de/faq7. [12.04.2021].
₇ PETA Deutschland e.V.: Self-perception: These 5 animals recognize themselves in the mirror (as of September 2018), https://t1p.de/d4wc. [12.04.2021].
₈ MTA - DAS PORTAL: Intolerances - What humans and animals have in common (as of 26.08.2017), https://t1p.de/lbe5. [12.04.2021].
₉ University of Cambridge: Sheep are able to recognize human faces from photographs, available at https://t1p.de/12a7. [12.04.2021].
