Bonobos Join Chimps As Closest Human Relatives

sciencehabit writes "Chimpanzees now have to share the distinction of being our closest living relative in the animal kingdom. An international team of researchers has sequenced the genome of the bonobo for the first time, confirming that it shares the same percentage of its DNA with us as chimps do. The team also found some small but tantalizing differences in the genomes of the three species—differences that may explain how bonobos and chimpanzees don't look or act like us even though we share about 99% of our DNA."

No real surprise here

[doston]

Always figured they were closely related to man, considering how endlessly horny they are.

I've suspected this for a long time actually.

[conspirator23]

I always figured that conservatives evolved from the innocent-seeming but violent, territorial, face-eating chimpanzees, and liberals evolved from those oversexed, touchy-feely bonobos. Now we know the truth!

Re:No real surprise here

[knappe duivel]

Always figured they were closely related to man, considering how endlessly horny they are.

Always figured they were closely related to me, considering how endlessly horny they are.

Re:False

[dietdew7]

Is she a bonobo or a chimpanzee?

Re:Bonobo Chimpanzee

[nospam007]

"Is it just a matter of behavior? "

That too. Chimps will fuck you up, given the chance, Bonobos will just fuck you.

Re:1% of three billion

[Anonymous Coward]

Humans have 23 chromosome pairs.... 46 chromosomes in total. In women, there are 2 X and in males, 1X and 1Y. Males of our species share 45/46 or 98% with females.

Explains why I understand male monkeys much better than female humans

Oooh Oooh Ah Ah Ah

Re:Nope...

[Grayhand]

I didn't come from no monkey's butthole

It's an honest mistake. Most people just assume there's a family resemblance.

Re:Bonobo Chimpanzee

[jez9999]

I take issue with that campaign about bonobos being the most intelligent ape. Humans deserve at least an honourable mention.

Re:Bonobo Chimpanzee

[Mindcontrolled]

That's for history to decide. Which, of course, will be written by the victorious species. I for one preemptively welcome or future bonobo overlords.

Re:No...

[Tyler Durden]

When I tell my dog not to behave like a little wolf, he can reasonably argue that he is one, just one adapted for a specific ecological niche.

If your dog's making reasonable arguments then he's filling a rare ecological niche indeed. Impressive!

Re:Bonobo Chimpanzee

[ZigiSamblak]

Well, that does explain why they don't visit Slashdot.