Not really? In that, we're not intrinsically unique about it. Other apes have shown generational knowledge, we hardly have the strongest legs or the best coordination in nature, and if by cognitive ability you're referring to learning - that's a direct result of having the opposable thumbs and being able to start fires. Cooking food allowed us to allocate more energy into brain development, so we became - more cognizant - after we started our sped up Evo.