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Bonobos, Our Other Closest Relative After Chimpanzees
We may look different than bonobos and chimpanzees, but we’re far more alike than physical appearance makes it seem
Ever since Charles Darwin introduced his Theory of Evolution, we’ve been obsessed with comparing ourselves to others in the animal kingdom, especially primates. When DNA entered our knowledge base, we learned we share a significant amount with many other animals, but none more than chimpanzees. As a result, research into the similarities and differences between our species has thrived for decades.
Then, experts discovered we share almost as much DNA (within .1 percent) with Bonobos, a less studied primate species, as we do with chimpanzees. Research into these distinctions between bonobos and us has a long way before catching up with what we know about chimps. But some recent studies discovered interesting ways bonobos differ socially from either chimps or humans. Maybe, there’s something we can learn from them.
Chimps + Bonobos = Us
Okay, so maybe the headline is a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s also kinda true. Allow me to explain.
It’s thought that first, our Human line of ancestry split from the line of bonobos and chimpanzees around eight…
