Eli5: How come all animals look like each other (ex. You won’t tell the difference between 2 squirrels) but humans differ so heavily? Why do humans have so many unique facial an body features?

Question

Eli5: How come all animals look like each other (ex. You won’t tell the difference between 2 squirrels) but humans differ so heavily? Why do humans have so many unique facial an body features?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Incorrect. There is just as much difference between different squirrels as there is between different people. It’s just we are trained and primed to distinguish between people. We have to in order to function in a society and we are tribal creatures by nature, so that’s actually a survival feature.

We, on the other hand, do not need to identify individual animals as much. That does not benefit out survival. Animals are for food or avoiding danger. Recognizing individuals is not something our ancestors needed to survive.

That being said, we can learn to do so. Are brains are flexible enough.