It has now become increasingly difficult to dispute the fact that, anatomically, genetically, and neurologically, humans have evolved from apes. On a neurological level, our brains and senses are not that different from the monkeys we descended from. At the same time, however, we cannot deny that there are also substantial differences: apes are born, live, and die as animals in the forest, but humans have different capabilities, awareness, and objectives from all other animals. Humans are an exceptional species: we have a constant thirst for innovation, so that we are able to improve our environmental conditions; we love art, poetry, and music; and we have a profound self-awareness and perception of the world around us.
The significant differences between humans and monkeys all reside in the human brain, which at some point, millions of years ago, began to evolve into something completely different from all other animal species. According to the author, the evolution of the human brain relied on a specific factor that is unique in nature: mirror neurons, which are brain cells that are activated when we see one of our fellow humans doing something. The hyper development of these cells, together with a convenient turn of evolutionary events, is what makes us unique, namely our cerebral plasticity, complex language, love of art, and the extremely multifaceted culture that we have passed on from generation to generation through to the present day.
