Closer to man than ape

The Guardian ^ | Tuesday January 24, 2006 | Ian Sample

[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.

[Ma3lst0rm]

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 )

[martin_fierro]

I report, you decide.

[Aussie Dasher]

In the case of The Guardian, I can well believe it!

[dr_who_2]

I was wondering about what zoo that guy escaped from.

[Salamander]

"They" also say that we, as mammals, originally evolved from a prehistoric salamander.

Therefore, I am your overlord.

Kneel before Newt.

[Ma3lst0rm]

Hahahahahahaha Love it!

[Drammach]

I have an idea that ID'ers and Creationists are not going to like this article...

Just a guess...

[Ma3lst0rm]

Yes they say many things that are not in any possible way proven or falsifiable.

[microgood]

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.

[GSlob]

"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?

[Salamander]

No.
This is completely true.
It is your duty to worship me as your evolutionary Queen.



;D

[Salamander]

"Homo satyrus"

Only in San Francisco.

[blam]

I thought we already knew this? Bonobo's specifically.

[Waco]

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!!!

[null and void]

Turned into a newt?

[null and void]

Homo troglodities, I'd guess.

[Salamander]

Yes.
But I got better.....:)

[Drammach]

Yes. But I got better...

Barney Miller... " But I'm feeling much better, now.."..

[RichInOC]

I thought the kitties were our overlords.

[Salamander]

Monty Python.

[the nose was a carrot]...;]