What separates humans from monkeys?

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I don't know...entertain me, dazzle me with your brilliance, distract me from the soul sucking sound of a roomful of people yawning, checking their watches and fiddling with conference proceedings...please?

You forgot one:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/ ... 2010-06-22

Curses! The poll refuses to accept more responses. Well, if anyone wants to go with that one, I'd file it under the argument: the ability to have imaginary 'friends'.

Although there is plenty of youtube evidence that naysays that article, AG. I'm not going to post it...but you can search Chimp and Frog to find out for yourself.

Several million years separates humans from monkeys (give or take, depending on whether you mean New World or Old World monkeys).

Assorted thoughts - musings

The opening sequence of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Sp ... ssey_(film)
suggested that humankind evolved from monkeys of some type as I recall.

Why are humans and monkeys different?

My view is:

- Likely some sort of genetic change in perhaps an enzyme system in the brain occurred in a few monkeys giving them the ability to think/sustain thoughts/use their imaginations in productive ways and that small group of monkeys turned into human beings.

- The monkeys without the genetic change remained monkeys.

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Monkeys in zoos today cannot talk. That lack of vocal language vastly slows down their ability to improve by conversation and learning.

Other.

A soul. Humans exist both in the physical and spritual worlds, monkeys like all other animals, lack souls, therefore, they exist only in the physical world.

One cannot ascertain precisely the attitudes of all apes and monkeys but I would guess that, in general, they do not consider themselves superior to all other life forms and thereby have the absolute right to mindlessly smash and destroy all other living things. I hope I have offended a great many people.

I prefer the term "apes" to "monkeys". Humans are a variety of ape. We happen to be the smartest of the apes who live on the ape farm. The difference between us and our closest ape relatives is about five percent of the genome.

ruveyn

I'm bored, so I'm going to say it's all about the thumbs.

Think about it. Without the thumb we lose our grip on everything. The thumb allowed us to fashion tools more complex than found objects--the right sized rock, the termite stick that is just right. It probably started fairly simply, the chimp with the abnormally long thumbs was better at peeling the termite stick, scored more protein and grew healthier and thereby scored all the chicks.

Imagination simply evolved because we were able to do more with our thumbs--and when I say thumbs I mean the whole physiological mechanism that turned us into the greatest predators on the planet: binocular vision, binocular hearing, hips/ankles/feet that allow for walking upright. Without all those beautiful mechanisms, the big brain is still food for everything else in the Olduvai Gorge. Imagination is not something the scrappy survivor has time for--prey does not have time to dream about a Creator and wonder about tomorrow. Navel gazing and philosophy, creative tool making and manipulating the environment as a means of avocation, that's what makes humans different from the other primates--and it's all thanks to the thumb. The thumb makes leisure time possible.

I think if we want to find ape philosophers, we might look to the ones in zoos where all their needs are met. Someone should ask Koko this question...

I put some humans are monkeys. I used to have to ride the bus and I saw a lot of people with built like homnids with skulls shaped to match.

I put science because I think one the things that differentiates us is making discoveries and the ability to manipulate the world around us. One of the things that influenced our evolution was the ability to control and manipulate fire, which was learnt by some older hominids.

BTW, I think that the statement that some people are monkeys are true though. When you see a monkeys in the zoo or on the Discover Channel, just inform those people that you've just met their cousins.

i have not heard of any creatures other than humans who routinely [for the most part] hygienically wipe their hineys promply upon defecation. the closest i've seen any animal come to this was when my cat had an itchy tailpipe one day and proceeded to rub it against the carpeting.
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just my 2-cents' worth, adjusted for inflation