Similar but Different for a Reason

In class we read many articles and and chapters that compared humans to non-human animals, but instead of being engaged with the similarities and differences, the idea of understanding how humans and animals can live the same life in a variety of ways.

Humans have adapted common views on what society should be and what it demands of those apart of it; a car for transportation versus public transportation, more grocery stores and organic options versus chain restaurants and fast food. Depending on where one lives, works, or is surrounded by dictates their necessities of life.

This is similar to animals, they only grow their societies to match their needs of life. Animals such as ants, have demonstrated that mating, locating food, and managing "workers" can be done by simple animals.

As mentioned in the video above, ants are simple animals able to perform complex concepts. Their mating varies from what humans are used to by the females being able to store the semen of the male and fertilize their eggs once they have relocated and lost their wings. This is beneficial to their reproduction and survival of the offspring.

The ants are provided with the intelligence of survival and reproduction through biological predisposition. In humans, some characteristics may be passed on biologically while much of the of the needed survival and reproductive knowledge is taught primarily during the first eighteen yers of life. Though much is learned in that time, the learning never ends. 

Within the basics of life, there are similarities, however, the level of complexity in the way humans and animals live their lives separates one species from another. With similarities and variations, the knowledge needed in order to be successful in one's society is survival and reproduction; these are the two most similar necessities.