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Closer to man than ape
The Guardian ^
| Tuesday January 24, 2006
| Ian Sample
Posted on 01/23/2006 9:02:50 PM PST by Ma3lst0rm
They already use basic tools, have rudimentary language and star in TV commercials, but now scientists have proof that chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than other great apes.
Genetic tests comparing DNA from humans, chimps, gorillas and orang-utans reveal striking similarities in the way chimps and humans evolve that set them apart from the others.
The finding adds weight to a controversial proposal to scrap the long-used chimp genus "Pan" and reclassify the animals as members of the human family. The move would give chimps a new place in creation's pecking order alongside humans, the only survivor of the genus Homo.
The biologist Soojin Yi's team at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta compared 63m base pairs of DNA from different species, where each base is a letter in the animal's genetic code. They then analysed the DNA to look at what evolutionary biologists call the molecular clock, the rate at which an animal's genetic code evolves. The speed of the clock shows how the span of a generation has changed over the millennia.
The tests showed that even though humans and chimps split from a common ancestor between 5m and 7m years ago, the rate at which their genetic codes were evolving was extremely similar, differing by only 3%, and much slower than gorillas and orang-utans.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: apes; godsgravesglyphs; man
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This is funny. Molecular clocks are still far from reliable science and are based upon much conjecture. Even if the idea of molecular clocks were proven beyond a doubt the "rate of evolution" certainly would not be a good indicator for reclassification. Also the gene expression in humans is very different from that of apes and chimpanzees with as much as 80% of resultant proteins being different. Also we have nearly as much similarity with mice and as much as 75% similarity with some worms. This would be laughable if it were not for "highly educated" scientists proposing such a stupid thing as the including of chimps in the human family. It is clearly an ideological goal not a scientific one.
(reference: Galina Glazko, Vamsi Veeramachaneni, Masatoshi Nei and Wojciech Makalowski, "Eighty Percent of Proteins are Different between Humans and Chimpanzees," Gene volume 346 14 February 2005, Pages 215-219 )
1
posted on
01/23/2006 9:02:52 PM PST
by
Ma3lst0rm
To: Ma3lst0rm
![](http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/pm/ED0281_p~Chimpanzee.jpg)
![](http://www.planet.nl/upload_mm/1/8/b/1978466971_1999998627_180605_337x253_ahmadinejad.jpg)
I report, you decide.
2
posted on
01/23/2006 9:07:43 PM PST
by
martin_fierro
(GO STILLERS!!!)
To: Ma3lst0rm
In the case of The Guardian, I can well believe it!
3
posted on
01/23/2006 9:11:20 PM PST
by
Aussie Dasher
(The Great Ronald Reagan & John Paul II - Heaven's Dream Team!)
To: martin_fierro
I was wondering about what zoo that guy escaped from.
4
posted on
01/23/2006 9:12:32 PM PST
by
dr_who_2
To: Ma3lst0rm
"They" also say that we, as mammals, originally evolved from a prehistoric salamander.
Therefore, I am your overlord.
Kneel before Newt.
5
posted on
01/23/2006 9:13:33 PM PST
by
Salamander
(Cursed With Second Sight)
To: martin_fierro
6
posted on
01/23/2006 9:13:48 PM PST
by
Ma3lst0rm
(Some wish to spread joy and hope and others wish to make sure no one has a greater portion of either)
To: blam; PatrickHenry; SunkenCiv
I have an idea that ID'ers and Creationists are not going to like this article...
Just a guess...
7
posted on
01/23/2006 9:14:54 PM PST
by
Drammach
(In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king..)
To: Salamander
Yes they say many things that are not in any possible way proven or falsifiable.
8
posted on
01/23/2006 9:17:11 PM PST
by
Ma3lst0rm
(Some wish to spread joy and hope and others wish to make sure no one has a greater portion of either)
To: Ma3lst0rm
This would be laughable if it were not for "highly educated" scientists proposing such a stupid thing as the including of chimps in the human family. It is clearly an ideological goal not a scientific one.
Saving this as one of the 29 evidences that evolution is a religion.
9
posted on
01/23/2006 9:18:01 PM PST
by
microgood
To: Ma3lst0rm
"Molecular clocks are still far from reliable science and are based upon much conjecture."
That's why they gave themselves a rather generous time bracket - 5 to 7 million years. If it turns out that it was 4.8 to 7.5, it'd also OK within the framework. So what would be a new name? Homo satyrus?
10
posted on
01/23/2006 9:18:35 PM PST
by
GSlob
To: Ma3lst0rm
No.
This is completely true.
It is your duty to worship me as your evolutionary Queen.
;D
11
posted on
01/23/2006 9:20:27 PM PST
by
Salamander
(Cursed With Second Sight)
To: GSlob
"Homo satyrus"
Only in San Francisco.
12
posted on
01/23/2006 9:21:39 PM PST
by
Salamander
(Cursed With Second Sight)
To: Ma3lst0rm
I thought we already knew this? Bonobo's specifically.
13
posted on
01/23/2006 9:26:31 PM PST
by
blam
To: Ma3lst0rm
Course if it turns out the chimps vote overwhelmingly for the GOP, why just forget the whole damn thing and moveon, fergit it. Stifle thyself! Now!!!
14
posted on
01/23/2006 9:29:16 PM PST
by
Waco
To: Salamander
15
posted on
01/23/2006 9:30:58 PM PST
by
null and void
("Never place a period where God has placed a coma" --Gracie Allen)
To: GSlob
Homo troglodities, I'd guess.
16
posted on
01/23/2006 9:32:41 PM PST
by
null and void
("Never place a period where God has placed a coma" --Gracie Allen)
To: null and void
Yes.
But I got better.....:)
17
posted on
01/23/2006 9:35:31 PM PST
by
Salamander
(Cursed With Second Sight)
To: Salamander
Yes. But I got better... Barney Miller... " But I'm feeling much better, now.."..
18
posted on
01/23/2006 9:38:06 PM PST
by
Drammach
(In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king..)
To: Salamander
I thought the kitties were our overlords.
19
posted on
01/23/2006 9:38:07 PM PST
by
RichInOC
(Valhalla, I am coming....)
To: Drammach
Monty Python.
[the nose was a carrot]...;]
20
posted on
01/23/2006 9:43:04 PM PST
by
Salamander
(Cursed With Second Sight)
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