Humans

On Earth, humans are at the top of the food chain. Any one of our nearest neighbors in that chain could whoop us in a fair fight, but there we are. We’re not the biggest, strongest, fastest, or most adept at fighting. However, we’re one of the only animals able to easily adapt to almost any environment (or to adapt the environment to us) within a single lifetime…in other words, we would probably be extinct if not for a couple of things pertinent to this book.

Our ability to:

• fashion and improve tools;
• pass knowledge to future generations;
• form coalitions (work together toward a common purpose);
• envision the future in ways other animals cannot; and
• run excessively long distances without keeling over from exhaustion, lack of oxygen, or heat.

For example, someone in a family creates a stone axe made of flint. This person teaches their children how to do the same. Their children improve it and teach their children the improved way. The third generation continues to improve the methods. The family (coalition) as a whole becomes better equipped to forage for food and protect themselves; thus survive.