John W. Burgeson wrote:
>
> Thinking about what constitutes "humanity."
>
> Is there any evidence that non-humans ever have a sense of shame?
>
> I know one can observe some dogs having this -- but it seems to be
> related to their bond with a human. Not "in the wild."
>
> Perhaps humans are the only species that can blush?
>
> Glenn Morton writes well about "human characteristics" of
> ancient hominids. The book WHEN ELEPHANTS WEEP is a
> partial -- but not a complete rebuttal to some of those claims.
>
> Humans admire beauty.
> So do some animals sometimes (some birds).
>
> Humans worship.
> So do some animals sometimes (for instance, some dogs).
>
> Humans sometimes exhibit altruism.
> So do some animals sometimes (see the book).
>
> Humans build houses.
> So do some animals sometimes.
>
> But blushing may be one unique attribute.
An article in the Feb. 2000 _Discover_, "Morals, Apes, and Us" by Marc D. Hauser
pp.51-55, may be of interest in connection with this topic.
George L. Murphy
gmurphy@raex.com
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
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