▁nature ▁is ▁similarly ▁und es irable ▁( where as ▁in ▁reality ▁program med ▁cell ▁death ▁is ▁an ▁essential ▁phys i ological ▁phenomen on , ▁and ▁e cos ystem s ▁also ▁rely ▁on ▁death ). ▁Con vers ely , ▁anth rop oc ent ric ▁thinking ▁can ▁also ▁lead ▁people ▁to ▁under attribute ▁human ▁characteristics ▁to ▁other ▁organ isms . ▁For ▁instance , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁tempt ing ▁to ▁wrong ly ▁assume ▁that ▁an ▁animal ▁that ▁is ▁very ▁different ▁from ▁humans , ▁such ▁as ▁an ▁insect , ▁will ▁not ▁share ▁particular ▁bi ological ▁characteristics , ▁such ▁as ▁reprodu ction ▁or ▁blood ▁circul ation . ▁ ▁Anth rop oc ent ric ▁thinking ▁has ▁pre domin antly ▁been ▁studied ▁in ▁young ▁children ▁( most ly ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 ) ▁by ▁development al ▁psych olog ists ▁interested ▁in ▁its ▁relev ance ▁to ▁bi ology ▁education . ▁Children ▁as ▁young ▁as ▁ 6 ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁to ▁attribute ▁human ▁characteristics ▁to ▁species ▁un famil iar ▁to ▁them ▁( in ▁Japan ), ▁such ▁as ▁rabb its , ▁grass ho ppers ▁or ▁t ul ips . ▁Although ▁relatively ▁little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁its ▁pers istence ▁at ▁a ▁later ▁age , ▁evidence ▁exists ▁that ▁this ▁pattern ▁of ▁human ▁exception al ist ▁thinking ▁can ▁continue ▁through ▁young ▁ad ul th ood ▁at ▁least , ▁even ▁among ▁students ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁increasing ly ▁educated ▁in ▁bi ology . ▁ ▁The ▁notion ▁that ▁anth rop oc ent ric ▁thinking ▁is ▁an ▁inn ate ▁human ▁characteristic ▁has ▁been ▁challeng ed ▁by