• Question: Are we really related to apes?

    Asked by hibble2013 to Simon on 20 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Simon Holyoake

      Simon Holyoake answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      we’re not just related to apes, we *are* apes, along with Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Gorillas and Orangutans we comprise the family of ‘great apes’ (or Hominidae if you want the technical term)

      we share much of our DNA (well over 90%) and our last common ancestor existed approximately 7 million years ago

Comments

  • Photo: Simon

    Simon commented on :

    In actual fact chimps (our very closest relatives) are “more evolved” than us, their DNA has undergone more changes since we split from our last common ancestor 7 million years ago

    Also, technically, humans are hairier than chimps, we have more hair follicles on our bodies, it’s just that the hair that grows is not as long, thick and dark as the hair on a chimp!