We can run and breathe entirely separately. Most quadrupeds lack the ability to run and take breaths independently of the pace of each step. Watching cheetahs sprint, for example, show that they have no choice but to exhale every time their legs come together and inhale every time their legs push apart.
Running on our hind legs only frees up our hands to be able to use tools and weapons, maybe even water containers for drinking on the go.
We can see further by standing up, and can make tactical decisions based on terrain, while still running pretty much full speed.
Combined with our unusual ability to cool ourselves by sweating, this gives us an advantage over pretty much any animal in the heat. Wolves and horses can still outrun humans in the cold, but lack the cooling mechanisms to maintain pace in the same heat that we can.
We also have by far the best throwing game in the world. Some animals can spit with reasonable accuracy, some apes can kind of lob shit in a general direction, and there’s that one lizard that can spray blood from its eye, but nothing in the animal kingdom past or present has a human’s innate ability for ranged attack. The average man can throw a fist sized rock hard and accurate enough to crack a skull from 20 yards with his bare hand. And we’ve spent the last 10,000 years inventing newer and more impressive ways of throwing stuff.
lizard that can spray blood from its eye, but nothing in the animal kingdom past or present has a human’s innate ability for ranged attack
I don’t know, a hawk plummeting from the sky at 190km/h onto something the size of a small rodent is kind of impressive, too, if you count the bird throwing itself as throwing…
It’s a few things that stem from bipedalism:
Combined with our unusual ability to cool ourselves by sweating, this gives us an advantage over pretty much any animal in the heat. Wolves and horses can still outrun humans in the cold, but lack the cooling mechanisms to maintain pace in the same heat that we can.
We also have by far the best throwing game in the world. Some animals can spit with reasonable accuracy, some apes can kind of lob shit in a general direction, and there’s that one lizard that can spray blood from its eye, but nothing in the animal kingdom past or present has a human’s innate ability for ranged attack. The average man can throw a fist sized rock hard and accurate enough to crack a skull from 20 yards with his bare hand. And we’ve spent the last 10,000 years inventing newer and more impressive ways of throwing stuff.
I don’t know, a hawk plummeting from the sky at 190km/h onto something the size of a small rodent is kind of impressive, too, if you count the bird throwing itself as throwing…
Humans domesticated dogs for their ability to hunt by scent. Dogs domesticated humans for their ability to throw a tennis ball.
That and the easy free meals and wamr place to sleep for not much effort in return.
Cats purr and get free shit.
And for wanking, although that may just be an adaptation to compensate for our inability to lick our own dicks.