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What Makes Humans Special?

A graphical tour of our evolutionary advantages starts with anatomy


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Hallmark traits of the human body did not all arise anew in our species. Instead they emerged piecemeal in our forebears over millions of years. Many of these traits seem to have helped support two defining trends in our evolution: upright locomotion and tool use.

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES; SOURCE: ANDREAS VESALIUS, 1514–1564

SA Special Editions Vol 25 Issue 4sThis article was originally published with the title “What Makes Us Special” in SA Special Editions Vol. 25 No. 4s (), p. 50
doi:10.1038/scientificamericanhumanity0916-50