🔄FROM THE ARCHIVE: We share a common ancestor, but followed a different evolutionary path.
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsTo be human is to be a primate. Humans and chimpanzees, apes, tarsiers, vervets and more all share a common ancestor, and we’re clustered closely together on the tree of life.diverged from the ancestors of other primates at varying times, and that means we’re closely related to some primates, and more distantly related to others.
The first merely asks how long ago we diverged from any given lineage of primates. Our ancestors split from chimpanzees, our closest relatives, along with bonobos, no more than 6 million years ago. We diverged from gorillas perhaps 10 million years ago, then orangutans around 14 million years ago. The split from gibbons is further back, and Old World Monkeys further still. So, we’re about 6 million years on from our shared history with any other living primate.
Genetically, we share more than 98 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos. From this perspective, chimpanzees are mostly human and vice versa. But, in genetics, some changes matter more than others. That 1-plus percent of DNA that differs between our species has obviously led to someWe share about 96 percent of our DNA with gorillas, meaning that we’re, in a sense, more than twice as much like a chimpanzee as we are a gorilla. But, again, it’s not so simple when it comes to DNA.
This story is part of an ongoing series exploring questions about human origins. Read more about ancient humans:
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
14 fun things to do in Anaheim that aren't Disney relatedIf you're trying to avoid Mickey's house, this list is for you.
Read more »
PolitiFact - Pfizer’s $2.3 billion settlement was not related to COVID-19 vaccinesPfizer paid a $2.3 billion health care fraud settlement, but it was in 2009 and for an anti-inflammatory drug called Bextra. It was more than a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more »
Supreme Court to consider House Democrats' quest for records related to Trump's D.C. hotelThe Supreme Court will consider House Democrats' quest for records related to former Pres. Trump's Washington, D.C.'s hotel.
Read more »
Metabolic Abnormalities Boost Obesity-Related Cancer Risk➡️ First study to show obesity-related cancer risk is 1.5-fold higher in people with metabolic aberrations as well as obesity, compared with metabolically healthy and normal weight individuals. ECO2023 ObesityCare
Read more »
Libra-related Sui blockchain fixes critical bug that put ‘billions’ at riskThe bug allowed for many different types of exploits, including one that would have let flash loan borrowers simply not pay back their loans.
Read more »