a culture-bearing primate that is anatomically similar and related to the other great apes but is distinguished by a more highly developed brain and a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning. In addition, human beings display a marked erectness of body carriage that frees the hands for use as manipulative members. Some of these characteristics, however, are not entirely unique to humans. The gap in cognition, as in anatomy, between humans and the other great apes (orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees) is much less than was once thought, as they have been shown to possess a variety of advanced cognitive abilities formerly believed to be restricted to humans. Traditionally, humans were considered the sole recent representatives of the family Hominidae, but recent findings indicate that chimpanzees (and bonobos) are more closely related to humans than are gorillas and orangutans and that the chimpanzee and human lines separated only about five million years ago. Therefore, all great apes are now gathered with humans into Hominidae, and within this family humans and their extinct ancestors are considered to make up the “tribe” Hominini. See also Homo sapiens; human evolution.
The term man has traditionally referred to humans in general, or mankind. The idea of man is treated in a number of articles. For a philosophical treatment of the subject, see philosophical anthropology. For the physical anthropology of human ancestry, see human evolution. For an examination of human culture, see culture. For other related articles, see collective behaviour; death; emotion; family; human behaviour; human rights; intelligence; kinship; language; learning theory; mind, philosophy of; motivation; perception; personality; population; sexual behaviour, human; social structure; Stone Age; thought.
View-of-the-base-of-the-human-skull-showing-theView of the base of the human skull, showing the central location of the foramen magnum.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Major-sources-of-natural-background-radiation-and-their-respective-contributionsFigure 4: Major sources of natural background radiation and their respective contributions to the …[Credits : From the National Radiological Protection Board, Living with Radiation, 3rd ed., Reading, …]
Skeletal-and-muscular-structures-of-a-humans-leg-and-aSkeletal and muscular structures of a human’s leg (left) and a gorilla’s leg (right).[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
The-skeletal-structure-of-a-human-being-and-of-aThe skeletal structure of a human being (left) and of a gorilla (right)[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Comparison-of-the-pelvis-and-lower-limbs-of-a-chimpanzeeComparison of the pelvis and lower limbs of a chimpanzee, an australopith, and a modern human.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Amount-of-change-in-the-evolutionary-history-of-three-hypothetical(Left) Amount of change in the evolutionary history of three hypothetical living species (C, D, and …[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Human-being-maleHuman being (Homo sapiens), male.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Click-on-each-individual-for-a-larger-imageClick on each individual for a larger image.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
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