As noted by others, the main difference between human thumbs and those of other apes is that our thumbs are longer and set such that we can reach all the way across the palm. That mutation arose about 5 million years ago, according to Wikipedia, which was soon after our ancestors split off from those of the chimps.
All the apes, a large fraction of monkeys, pandas, a species of rodent, possums, koalas, at least two species of dinosaur, a lot of birds, and a few species of frog have opposable thumbs - if not all as dexterous as ours.
And there is a very cool ongoing evolution of thumbs: the domestic cat. There is a mutation that produces extra digits on the cat's paws, many of which act like thumbs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyl_cat
These cats have a significant advantage in human-created environments, because they can climb ships rigging to go after rats, open simple latches, and catch objects with one paw. The best estimate is that the mutation arose ~200 years ago, and cats carrying it spread around the world on sailing ships based mainly out of Boston.
So, Ms. Taylor, please go visit the Hemingway House in Key West and look at the herd of cats in the place. That should be a good enough counter-example to your statement.
