The other primates also had the same "bits" as we did, and yet here they are, not at all imaginative.
Not really, since there will be some aspect missing - like brain size, speech, the changes due to walking upright for most of the time, the diet we could tolerate and obtain, for example. With just one or a few missing, many species would never have developed as we did. Why for example did the Neanderthals die out? Perhaps because they simply failed to develop symbolic language.
I'll just repeat what I see as to why we were so successful when so many other species apparently haven't developed as far as we have:
* We don't spend inordinate amounts of time feeding or sleeping (as so many other species do) - thus freeing up time for other things.
* We usually eat high value food (often developed by humans) and are quite capable of being omnivorous, unlike so many other species that are necessarily obliged to have one particular diet - thus being dependent upon such being available. And we became good at hunting other species or replacing such with farming. That is, we controlled our food supply. Also, we have managed to gain more from our intake of food by cooking and fermenting various ones - that might not be edible otherwise.
* We have very useful hands/fingers/opposable thumbs so as to flexibly manipulate materials and construct things as we see fit. Also apparently useful for many other things.
* We developed bipedalism - which enabled the previous to become so valuable to us, apart from any other benefits - like being able to chase after and snare game or move to different habitats. From our origins in the jungle, we also have not lost our abilities to climb, which is very useful as to obtaining various foods - much of which might be lost to other species that cannot do this.
* We have much greater intelligence and powers of thought so as to benefit from that which is materially available to us - and to be adaptable - like constructing shelters, making clothing, making and using tools, using fire, developing technology and manufacturing, including a variety of things that often enable us to live in widely different habitats and environments, and to travel more easily to such places (taming horses and building boats), or using such to simply to make life easier or safer for us. Also, perhaps we have evolved to value learned knowledge as much or more so than innate knowledge - and especially so in the last several thousand years after we invented writing and materials to record such.
* We are quite flexible socially, in that we can cooperate in small groups, and much larger ones, these latter often having quite varied social structures but still being viable.
* We have developed complex speech and symbolic language so as to communicate more efficiently that knowledge we (some) have worked so hard to obtain, and no doubt our ability to vocalise a wide range of sounds enhanced such. Plus, we know the value of the knowledge that others might have, and where able, we integrate such into our knowledge base - this so often transcending many generations.
* We have used our knowledge to extend our natural lives and to prevent death (from injuries or ill health) when previously this would not have been possible. We also apply such knowledge to areas of food production so as to enable these to be more productive.
* We have been able to develop concepts, which may not have any physical existence, but which have value for us as to enabling or benefiting our societies, and hence perhaps prolonging our existence.
* We have been able to tame many non-human species or to live reasonably well with them, and with many being affectionate companions.
We might claim social structures as one in particular (which releases us from offspring-rearing duties, for example) but many other species do such. The same goes for tool use, but many species show this too. Another might be our morality, but many species also seem to display such, even if in a more primitive form. And against this, we have relatively long periods developing, and being vulnerable during such, before becoming contributing adults, unlike most other species.
So although it is obvious that many species are more powerful than humans, often have better senses, and can do much more than humans (flight and living underwater, for example, as well as often having better memories than humans), is it that we have fine-tuned the very best and most appropriate things so as to turn us into the most successful of creatures - even if by accident? And no doubt it would be difficult to put any of these items into any order so as to say that one relied on any other's existence before coming to prominence. Look at any other species. One or more of these items will be missing such that they could never rival us as to taking our position, and likewise, we would never have made it as to being where we are now. The nearest species to do so would likely be another primate species.
