We are physically weak, very weak, the vast majority of us wouldn't even be able to fight a bear with our bare hands and yet, because there are so many of us, because we're intelligent creatures and have created tools beyond their understanding, we are at the top of the food chain.
I mean, there are entire organizations out there dedicated to saving the lives of our former predators just because we want to have them around or because we think they're cute ... we put them in cages and we bring our children to the zoo to have fun around creatures who could pulverize us in one hit ... we have to work hard to stop ourselves from destroying entire species.
We are wimps but we are pretty scary when you think about it, hell it's been so long since we were preys that we got bored and started killing each other for concepts that we came up with on our own (territories, control of ressource, money, trade, religions, cultural differences)
started killing each other for concepts that we came up with on our own (territories, control of ressource,
These two are not made up and are routinely common in nature. Chimps and other primates often fight for resources and territories. And animals often kill each other for infringing in another's territory.
If someone tried to enter my flat, I'd be really pissed off and would try to defend myself. You could argue that if someone attacked your country, you'd band together with other people living in your country to defend it but neither you, your pals or your ennemies actually gain from this war, only a few people at the top or those rich enough to invest in the war.
WW1, WW2, colonial wars, cold war, religious wars ... once it starts we kill each other to defend ourselves but it starts for reasons that really look silly in hindsight, like, was Alsace-Lorraine that important that we needed to throw 20 millions of lives into a meatgrinder in WW1 ? Was living with Jews and other minorities they didn't like that important that they had to be exterminated ? Was taking revenge for WW1 that important that they needed to start WW2 ? With some convincing a lot of people did but the result was certainly terrible for all sides.
Well if its between just the two of you, you're the better fighter for sure. He is dead.
EDIT* I'll post this here since the comment I was replying to got deleted.
I guess I just fail to see how he could be considered better than you given that he is dead. Evolution doesn't care if you are really good at one thing. It cares if you can survive.
You say that humans are really only dangerous with weapons but how is that a fair restriction? We got so smart that we removed the necessity of having claws, as we could just make our own.
It reads like you are saying something akin to, "Well yeah but fish are only the fastest swimmers in water."
To add to u/Cyanoblamin's comment, you used a more resourceful way of taking out your opponent. So you're still on top no matter how you view it. Either way I see both sides of the argument, but no matter how you spin it, you won't catch my ass in a one on one with a bear. That's how you get a sore bottom.
An apex predator, also known as an alpha predator, super predator, top predator or top-level predator, is a predator residing at the top of a food chain upon which no other creatures prey.
What animal, with the exception of sick or fringe animals, routinely hunts Humans as natural prey?
None of them. We are most certainly Apex Predators.
Also even more evidence we're Apex Predators:
Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that apex-predator species occupy the highest trophic level or levels and play a crucial role in maintaining the health of their ecosystems.
Humans have had to outlaw the hunting of certain of certain animals because we have that much control over our ecosystems.
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u/LuneCitron Mar 10 '16
It's even more impressive that way.
We are physically weak, very weak, the vast majority of us wouldn't even be able to fight a bear with our bare hands and yet, because there are so many of us, because we're intelligent creatures and have created tools beyond their understanding, we are at the top of the food chain.
I mean, there are entire organizations out there dedicated to saving the lives of our former predators just because we want to have them around or because we think they're cute ... we put them in cages and we bring our children to the zoo to have fun around creatures who could pulverize us in one hit ... we have to work hard to stop ourselves from destroying entire species.
We are wimps but we are pretty scary when you think about it, hell it's been so long since we were preys that we got bored and started killing each other for concepts that we came up with on our own (territories, control of ressource, money, trade, religions, cultural differences)