Part 2: Don’t Judge a Mammal By Its Stripes - Cladistics
Birds of a feather flock together.
-Traditional saying
Within the last century, we have made great advancements in science and technology, from rockets to smart phones, and one of the most groundbreaking discoveries is the role that DNA plays in creation. DNA, as you probably remember, is the special molecule that holds the information that makes a creature what it is – why a pigeon is a pigeon and not an eagle (even if it does have delusions of grandeur). Scientists can use your DNA to tell many things about you: whether you are a boy or a girl, where your family comes from, whether you are lactose intolerant, and much more. We study all of this in the field of science known as genetics (it’s called that because it studies sections of DNA known as genes that each do a particular thing).
Our genes not only tells us who we are, but also who we are related to. This might not seem exciting to those of you who see your family all the time, but for those who have lost touch with their biological family (such as through adoption), this can be life changing. Imagine being able to meet someone who looks like you for the first time and find out where you came from. It’s a beautiful thing that science has given us.
The genes of animals can also tell us who they are related to, a field of study known as cladistics. Looking at those genes has yielded some very surprising connections in the animal world. Consider the giant panda: for years, scientists were certain that this creature was related to the much smaller red panda because of their similar love for bamboo and a small resemblance. Now, scientists have seen that the genes of giant pandas are much closer to a grizzly bear’s than a red panda’s, making them a true bear after all. Interestingly, the red panda is totally unique, being in a family all its own.
Studying the genes of animals have shown us that hyenas are actually more like cats, despite their canine ears and behavior, while foosas (a cat-like predator of Madagascar) are really more like mongooses. Seals and walruses are in the same group as wolves and weasels, but not manatees and dugongs, even though they are all marine mammals.
So, what about us? Where do we humans fit into this wonderfully varied creation? We have more than one cell, so we’re not bacteria, archaea, or protists. We have to consume food, so we’re not plants, but we can move around, so we’re not fungi. That just leaves animals. Our genes say that we are most closely related to the great apes like gorillas and chimpanzees, sharing up to 99% of our genes with them.
And yet, we are so very, very different from all other creatures. Sure chimpanzees can use simple tools (like using a stick to get ants) and gorillas can be taught sign language, but our intelligence, planning, tool use, language, and cooperation are simply on a different level. No other animal could mine materials out of the ground, turn them into wires, solder them together, invent a computer program to run on it, and then sell it to me so that I can write this for you.
When it comes down to it, our intelligence is the special gift that we have been given by our Creator. We might not have sharp teeth or speed like other animals, but we do have our minds that allow us to make saws and cars so that we actually can be stronger and faster than any other animal. Our intelligence has not only allowed us to make a world where people live longer, healthier lives, but also to know things about our Creator and to cultivate the good, the true, and the beautiful.
