How Humans Differ From Chimps: Inside Our Shared Evolution

Chimpanzees are an omnivorous type of great ape indigenous to central and western Africa. Chimpanzees are one of four types of great apes alongside bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas. These intelligent mammals grow up to five feet tall, have hands and feet capable of grasping, and are covered in hair, save for the palms of their hands and bottoms of their feet. Like humans, chimpanzees are capable of advanced cognition and intellect and are highly social creatures. In 2005, scientists sequenced the chimpanzee genome for the first time. They discovered that chimps and humans share around 99 percent of the same genetic sequence, making chimps the closest living relative to humans.

Chimpanzees and humans share a number of similar characteristics:

• They’re both hominids. Humans and chimps are primates (and mammals) and members of the Hominidae family (also known as hominids). Some common characteristics of primates include flat faces, clavicles, larger brain sizes, flexible shoulders and hips, and front-facing eyes. Like humans, chimpanzee mothers take care of their young after birth, providing food, warmth, and protection, and teaching them the necessary skills to survive. These non-human primates also use tools to accomplish tasks.
• They’re both terrestrial. Chimps and humans typically move around on the ground, rather than through the trees like monkeys. Though some species of primates have adaptations to allow them to climb trees for eating or sleeping, most spend much of their day on the ground.
• They both have complex emotions. Chimps, like humans, are capable of complex cognitive thoughts and feelings. Chimps are social creatures who experience joy, grief, jealousy, affection, and compassion. Like humans, chimps can feel depression and isolation and have expressive faces to communicate different emotions and reactions.
• Neither have tails. Humans and chimpanzees, including gorillas, gibbons, bonobos, and orangutans, do not have tails. This is also the most significant distinguishing feature between chimps and monkeys.

Chimp and human genomes share about 99 percent of the same DNA sequencing and a common ancestor—the chimpanzee-human last common ancestor (CHLCA). However, there are a few genetic differences between human-chimpanzee genomes that separate us, such as:

• Chimps walk on all fours. Chimpanzees mainly move around on all four limbs, much like gorillas and monkeys, though they can move bipedally.
• Chimpanzees can’t swim. Chimps have a low ratio of body fat and a top-heavy composition that makes it impossible for them to swim. While they’ll splash around in shallow waters, they can’t float or swim well in deeper waters. However, most humans with different body compositions can learn to swim or tread water.
• Chimps have shorter lifespans. Most chimpanzees only live in the wild for 40 to 50 years (potentially 50 to 60 in captivity), while humans can live past 100 years of age.
• Humans have bigger brains. Even though chimpanzees have larger brains than most mammals, human evolution has helped the human brain grow three times as large as their non-human counterparts. The human brain’s cerebral cortex contains twice as many cell types as a chimpanzee, affecting processes like memory and attention. In the early phase of brain development, human brain cells spend more time in the metaphase of cell division, possibly contributing to the differences in primate evolution.
• Chimps have an extra chromosome. While human genomic makeup only consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes, other great apes have 24. Research projects aimed at the study of chimpanzee genomes have revealed the possibility that during the evolution of human lineage, two ape chromosomes fused to create what is known as early human origin. Over time, nucleotide variability and altered transcription factor binding led to the evolution of human-specific genes, allowing humans to develop verbal communication and other language behavior, excelling past primate evolution.

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