20 May 2003

Chimps reclassified as us

I have usually considered myself to be somewhat agnostic concerning the processes whereby God brought human beings into existence. But the following report seems to illustrate rather well a form of biological reduction that would ignore the obvious with respect to the differences between the great apes and human beings: "Study: Chimps Belong In Human Genus." From the article:

Chimpanzees share 99.4 percent of functionally important DNA with humans and belong in our genus, Homo, according to a recent genetic study.

Previous studies put the genetic similarity between humans and chimps at 95 to 99 percent, so the new figure suggests chimps and humans are even more closely related than previously thought.


On reading this I cannot help but wonder whether any chimpanzees have undertaken a similar study to determine the classification of human beings. If our two species are really so close, then I should think the possibility of this happening would be nearly as likely as the other way round.

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