Did all alien life in the galaxy evolve from a common ancestor?

[Q99]

Not a lot of writers get what we humans are actually good at compared to other species.

For example, we are endurance monsters. Us and canines. We can run til most animals collapse. We can walk til most of the remaining animals collapse. Over long enough distances, we outdo horses, who are themselves high on the endurance chart. We're not a jack-of-all-trades, we're a "slowly grind you down."

Also, throwing things. That's largely our arm structure, and nothing else compares. Even the species that can throw at all, like other primates, have nothing like our throwing ability.

Poison resistance/variety of diet. While poison resistance is not too rare, it's mostly against specific poisons while we have broad band resistance to many (though not as strong against any individual one). And we're one of the more omnivorous critters around. Mammals in general have an edge here in our multiple teeth type- aliens without that are going to be more limited.

[Simon_Jester]

Hm. Perhaps the idea that humans are remarkably combative or persistent or determined (which I mentioned) ties into our physical endurance- although not directly.

Our knack for throwing things and surviving the poisons of our own planet are unlikely to be significant advantages when in competition with alien intelligences.