Talk:Zebra/@comment-31308946-20170509194430/@comment-27388204-20170605102915


 * sigh* where to begin...

Humans are animals, whether or not Tolkien believed so. When last I looked, he was not a biologist. The defining traits of an animal are as follows:

Animals are multicellular, heterotrophic (meaning that they obtain energy by consuming energy-releasing food substances), are capable of sexual reproduction, capable of motion at some point in their lives, and are able to respond quickly to external stimuli as a result of nerve cells.

If you are sure we aren't animals, please provide your evidence that shows we don't fit one of the aforementioned criteria, get it peer-reviewed, and go collect you Nobel Prize.

I can also go further, to prove we are mammals. Mammals are endothermic (warm-blooded), have hair/fur, and produce milk. We fit all those criteria. If you want me to go even further, I can prove to you that we key out as one of the great apes (Hominidae). We lack tails, have an upright gait, and shorter arms than legs.

So, conclusively, we are apes, which are mammals, which are vertebrates, which are animals. Whether or not Tolkien believed so, or whether your ego will allow you to accept that, is irrelevant.