Why do humans use the decimal system?

Question

Why have humans created mathematics over millenia using decimal numbers in mathematics? Is it just because we have 10 fingers (well, thumbs incl.)? Or is there an actual scientific reason?

Also, would maths be completely different if we used a different system, mabye 8 or 9 only?

Answer 1

There are other methods of counting besides the decimal system.  Take for instance binary, hexadecimal, and sexagesimal systems.  If you are familiar with how time measurement works, you are already familiar with sexagesimal.  But yes, there has been research done that shows that because humans have ten fingers, we are more likely to use a base-10 (decimal) counting system.  Many different cultures from many different regions of the world have used many different number systems.  Decimal system works - thus we use it.

Answer 2

There's nothing magic about the choice of 10 as the base of our number system.  Yes, it probably was because we have 10 fingers.  But the real significance of our number system is the assignment of the placement of digits to powers of the base.  It's the fact that we use 20 to represent 2 x (base) to the first power.

Answer 3

OK so humans use it but who says that the rest of the animal kingdom don't use it too....  or maybe we evolved it from them too.