Humans have for a long time now wondered what it is that drives us to behave the way we do. The most popular theory was that our actions are an equal combination of nature and nurture. Or, instincts and how we were raised. This is no longer considered to be true. New studies and findings show that the scale has been tipped more towards instincts and genes.

To better understand how instincts and genes drive us we must first realize that humans are in fact animals. We, as humans tend to place our species a tier above other animals. The truth is, many other species can act, think, and reason much the same way that we do. The most notable examples of this are found in the studies of apes. "Chimpanzees, for example, can figure out how to solve a puzzle on their own, seem to do so in much the same way as humans and, like humans will do it for no other reward than the satisfaction of having done it." (Chance pg.1) Apes also display other human characteristics by making tools and using sign language in original ways to express new ideas. The apes are not the only other species that display human tendencies. Porpoises can be

trained to not only perform tricks but also invent or create their own. (Chance pg.1) Behavior is not the only trait that animals and humans have in common. "Man's behavioral equipment of sense organs, nerves, and hormones is basically the same as that of other mammals and similar to that of vertebrates". (Davis pg.110) Not only is their behavioral equipment the same but also the responses to environmental stimuli are similar to those of other vertebrates. Davis also states that, "Man's social organization is derived directly from that of primates and parallels the organization of a large number of vertebrates." (Pg. 110) The truth is, man is so similar to other animals it is staggering. To understand where these similarities stem from it is important to understand the basic instincts and what role they play in behavioral patterns.

"Man is an animal born with certain types of structure. Having that kind of structure, he is forced to respond to stimuli at birth in certain ways (for example: breathing, heart beat, sneezing and the like). This repertoire of responses is in general the same for each of us." (Human Instincts) Many question why these instincts happen. Konrad Lorenz answers by stating, "...By demonstrating the species-preserving reason for a certain function he has solved the problem of its causation." (On Aggression Pg. 86) Let us take the most basic instincts: feeding, reproduction, flight, and aggression, or the "big four" as Lorenz calls them. In each

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Approximate Word count = 994
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)