Nature Genetics | Free Association

Chimpanzees are selfish, but children are kind

I pose an age-old question: what is it that makes us human? I think it depends who you ask. Ask a cognitive neuroscientist and they may say it’s our theory of mind, which is a fancy way of saying humans have empathy. Ask an evolutionary biologist and they will likely point out all the morphological traits that distinguish us from other primates, such as the large size of our cranial vaults or our opposable thumbs. Ask a psychologist and they may cite our conscience or our ability to use symbolism. But no matter who you ask, most would likely agree that our capacity for sharing resources and the social rules that regulate sharing are specific to human culture. 

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