History of Humanity: From Chimps to Us

[wolram]

I had to laugh at some of the criteria for (humanity) discribed in this Wiki
article, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanity, to be exact i find it hard to
point a finger at the time (humans) came into the evolutionary picture, ie
how many genes separate humans from chimps, how far is a chimp away from humanity?

 

[selfAdjoint]

how many genes separate humans from chimps, how far is a chimp away from humanity?

Back before they decoded both genomes they did rough test tube coagulation experiments and gave the proportion of shared genes as 99.3 %. Of course in those days they didn't really know how many genes each genome contained.

Nowadays the number given is lower, but still over 90 %. Just in the last week or so a paper appeared that claimed the difference between us and the chimps wasn't different genes per se but the different expression of the same genes.

Of course you know, wolram, that we aren't descended from chimps or they from us. Rather both species (and Bonobos) descend from a common ancestor. We split something like 6 million years ago.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The article states that the genetic difference between humans and chimpanzees is approximately 1-2%. However, this measurement can vary depending on the specific genes being compared. Some studies have suggested that the genetic difference could be as high as 5-6%. Additionally, the article mentions that the concept of humanity is not solely based on genetics, but also on cultural and societal factors. Therefore, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific moment in time when humans came into the evolutionary picture.