What made humans different from other life, especially other vertebrates?

Question

What made humans different from other life, especially other vertebrates?

Answer 1

Our belief that we are different, our desire to believe that we are the most important species on earth, and our extremely narrow definition of and over-valuing of what we call intelligence; plus the fact that we make all the rules and the language which tell us that these ideologies are all true.  Mostly - it is our ignorance about the range of variation in other animals and our refusal to apply truly scientific standards and definitions to concepts such as intelligence and culture that convinces us we are so different.

Answer 2

A larger brain, and an opposable thumb.  

Also, we can speak a complex language.

Answer 3

large brain and oposable thumb

Answer 4

Encephalization-- the size of our brain relative to our body size is extremely high compared to other vertebrates, including primates.

Other primates use technology (such as chimps digging into termite mounds with sticks, or using leaves to cover their heads in the rain), but we are the only ones to depend on it for our survival, which entails the cognitive capabilities to design, manufacture, and use these technologies. We also have, as mentioned, extremely complex language and symbolic thinking in general. These things are all made possible by the increased encephalization that is observable in the fossil record beginning with early Homo.

Also as mentioned, we do have an opposable thumb!