2006-12-30 08:13:02 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
The Chimpanzee
The closet relative that Human Beings have regarding evolution is a creature living in the Pliocene era, 8 to 5 million years ago.
The creature descended from squirrel-like tree-shrews which in turn evolved from hedgehogs and before that starfish.
The latest comparison of genomes of Humans and our closest relative, the chimpanzee, shows that we split much later than was previosuly assumed. This means we quite possibly interbred to produce unrecorded and now extinct hybrid species before the final seperation 5.4 million years ago.
2006-12-30 08:26:34 · answer #1 · answered by Sally H 3 · 4⤊ 3⤋
I don't know about monkeys but as far as primates go, chimpanzees are the closest. Could we theoretically breed? Yes, it may be possible and there have been rumors of such experiments but most people have severe ethical reservations about attempting such a thing.
Whether we could produce a fertile hybrid is a different story. We probably couldn't because chimps and humans have differing numbers of chromosones.
A "humanzee" as they are called, would also be very unhappy. Chimps, especially male chimps, become very aggressive when they hit puberty and a humanzee would most likely have a violent streak, making it unsafe for it to live amongst humans. On the otherhand, it probably would not be strong enough and be too intelligent to live amongst chimps. It would be a loner in this world.
2007-01-01 02:15:55 · answer #2 · answered by minuteblue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The chimpanzee is genetically the closest to us with over 98% of the dna identical and as others have pointed out its not a monkey but a great ape (like human beings).
No of course we couldn't breed. Different genus! If there were still various hominid species like neanderthals around today its (barely) conceivable that we might be able to interbreed with some of them.
2006-12-30 17:59:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, there is all sorts of genetic evidence that human being share 99% of our genes with chimpanzees, but don't human beings also share like 75% of our genetic markers with a potato too? You see what I mean. Human beings are more closely related to bears than primates. Humans cannot breed with animals to the best of my knowledge. It would be an external invitro-fertilization type thing I imagine. The chimpanzee as I was mentioning is believed to be the closest to people in evolution.
Why are people more closely related to bears than apes? Fingernails and toe nails could have been claws. Believe it or not human beings are not very good climbers. Some animals can stick their claws in a tree and climb straight up it. Humans need a limb and can only climb so high. Bears are omnivores, primates by and large except the baboon, are herbivores. I don't believe people could be cross bred with bears or any other animal.
2006-12-30 21:05:04 · answer #4 · answered by Professor Armitage 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The closest primate that shares the most genetic information with human beings is the chimpanzee. They would be our closest "cousin" in the world.
Hypothetically, no, we could not breed together. Although genetically, there are lots of shared genetic markers, the combination would not produce an offspring. We have 46 chromosomes and chimpanzees have 48 chromosomes. This difference in number means there is not a matching set for genetic reproduction and an offspring cannot be produced.
2006-12-30 16:27:43 · answer #5 · answered by Silas 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The high primates, Gorilla and Chimpanzee, who have an almost identical genetic profile, with I think about 98 percent of the factors being the same. Interesting hypothesis, but one that is unlikely to be the subject of scientific experiment any time soon LOL. But other very close species have been successfully bred.... Donkey and Horse, for example. Lions with Tigers. The breeding is successful, but the offspring are always sterile. Evidently Mother Nature is pretty determined about not getting any "mongrel species" started.
2006-12-30 16:22:49 · answer #6 · answered by sharmel 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Chimps and Bonobos (Genus Pan) are closest to human (Genus Homo) gentically speaking but we are unable to interbreed because their genetic material is disposed in 24 pairs of chromosomes whilst ours is in 23 pairs, (The 2nd Human Chromosome is a fusion of 2 ape chromosomes).
This is not to say it hasn't been tried...
HIV occurs naturally in the chimp population of the Congo basin, it is projected to have transferred to the human population during the 1930s. Draw your own conclusions.
2006-12-30 18:53:08 · answer #7 · answered by Red P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chimp - but it's not a monkey (it's an ape) and I don't think they are sure whether real chimps or bonobos are the nearest to us. They may be equally close (i.e. they had a common ancestor, that then had a common ancestor with humans)
We can't breed with them - too far different.
2006-12-30 17:44:17 · answer #8 · answered by philjtoh 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Genetically speaking, we are most closely related to Chimpanzees. However, the genetic distance is too great to allow a human and a chimp to produce a viable offspring.
2006-12-30 16:30:05 · answer #9 · answered by maryanndertal 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The right answer:
The chimps (Pan paniscus and Pan troglodytes) are thought to be our closest relatives.
We can not interbreed, because chimps and humans have different numbers of chromosomes.
2006-12-31 09:47:56 · answer #10 · answered by Dr. Zaius 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋