We are humans, and this species has a lot to be grateful for.

The first real human trait was bipedalism, walking on two legs, which appeared more than 4.5 million years ago. No one knows why we became bipedal, but walking upright allows us not only to cover a lot of ground in an efficient way; it also allows us to carry things, like shopping bags and purses, or a cooked turkey on a platter.

We also have very large and complex brains. All primates are pretty well endowed in this arena, but humans have the biggest brains of all in relation to body size. Although we might focus on some of the negative aspects of braininess—remembering embarrassing moments in the past, self-consciously wondering if our hair looks dumb, pondering death a little bit too much—all in all, being smart has got to be a good thing. It allows humans to solve problems, enjoy a good book and invent things to do with miniature marshmallows…

Humans also share with other primates a penchant for socializing. Monkeys spend hours grooming each other and humans spend hours talking about each other, mostly behind each other’s backs.

All primates also display complex layers of social relationships. We make strategic alliances with those around us, establish close friendships that are critical for survival and depend on kin, especially to bring the cranberry sauce.

We primates also have the same sort of kids—ones that are born dependent on their elders and stay that way for years. This might not always seem like something to be grateful for, from the parents’ point of view, but it also means human parents get to hold our babies, cuddle with them and try all sorts of funny faces to make them smile. Since primate kids can’t forage well on their own, parents also get to feed them interesting things such as mash potatoes with gravy and pumpkin pie, and see how it looks sliding down the walls.

Of course, we share another particular parenting trait with lots of other animals that, I’m sure, would like to join us in saying, “Thanks for the mammaries.”

Source: LiveScience.com, NY
http://www.livescience.com/history/071122-hn-thanksgiving.html