Depending on what you measure humans and chimps have anywhere between 80 and 99% of their DNA in common, why?

Question

80-99% - that is four-firths identical to virtually identical. the actual similarity is more in the 95-99 percentage range but I am going to cut creationists off at the knees here by taking a deliberate wider margin.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=9D0DAC2B-E7F2-99DF-3AA795436FEF8039
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/09/0924_020924_dnachimp.html

Now, if god created man seperate from the animals, how do we explain this? If we are god's greatest creation why did he take a couple of shortcuts or something? And why would he leave such obvious traces of evolution? Did he not expect us to become smart enough to examine DNA evidence?

Jim: exactly, you are obviously family!

don't worry, speller 2000. I am aware that the genus Pan is now considered to be part of the subfamily Homininae to which humans also belong. Biologists believe that the two species of chimpanzees are the closest living evolutionary relatives to humans. It is thought that humans shared a common ancestor with chimpanzees and gorillas as recently as four to seven million years ago.

Well, you know, if chimps are like cousins to us, wouldn't god have mentioned it in the bible? Like 'take care of your cousins' or something? As far as I know there's only one or two mentions of 'apes' in the bible, and that is when they are traded together with gold and ivory and such.

Answer 1

Both also have a coccyx and both have the same enzyme deficiency that prevents them synthesising vitamin c. The evidence is conclusive-they shared a common ancestor and creationists can resort to whatever rhetoric and falsehoods they want. There is no valid challenge that they can make to the evidence. Humans are classified correctly as belonging to the same family as anthropoid apes.

Answer 2

We share a common ancestor.. like I share a common ancestor with my grandchildren..this just goes a bit farther back.
I agree that we're smart enough to examine DNA and that if there is a God who created us, He/She/whatever expected us to become that smart. Evolution doesn't necessarily preclude that a Creator exists.. it simply explains where we came from to a certain point on a timeline. That doesn't mean that something out there didn't start the process. It just means that it didn't happen in 6 days, and the judeo-christian mythos isn't the explanation for how we got here.

Answer 3

Dont worry, this isnt some witty response bashing your question. That statistic is true, but misleading. Many people thing that this means that we 'evolved' from chimps, but it doesnt.

So if you were to stretch your DNA out at the width of a thread of yarn, it would cover hundreds and hundreds of miles, yet not all of that is used to code for the human body. One of the biggest mysteries brought up by the human genome project was the large sections of non-coding DNA, DNA that has no effect on the organism.

So with Chimps, we share alot of noncoding DNA, only a small part of our DNA actually binds with enzymes and makes protiens, and it is that small section that makes us different.

Answer 4

you understand that the DNA is the same, but you do not understand why.....

God created one DNA template, which was perfect, and could be used to make different species by introducing small changes. This included the expression or repression of certain genes. The difference between species is not a pattern of different genes, but different patterns of expressing the same genes.

We all share the gene with bacteria to process sugar (glucose) in our bodies. But we did not evolve from bacteria. We both share this gene because we both need to process food. We all share the gene for eyes, and ears, and respiration (breathing) with many species, even though the code may be a tiny different. The gene is the same but the sequence may be slightly different. Different life forms share common genes, because most life share the same needs to maintain life. Modifications were created, or allowed, by God in order to accomodate organisms to different habitats, and microenvironments.

few examples
example would be that basic template for a car motor...this is shared by different brands..but the template has been modified for different effects....
a bread recipe can have the same basic ingredients.. but different types of bread call for certain additions or changes...some add extra sugar, some add fruit, some add extra bran

the main functions required for the life of any organism are the same.....so the genetic code is basically the same for all life...variations are expressed or repressed in order for unique needs of the final product.

if science advances far enough, which i hope it doesn't, it will be able to manipulate genes, and create different species from the same DNA.

Answer 5

Because there is more to life than gentics.
Genitics deals with the basic design of physical bodies.
Since we are obviously more than just our physical bodies the answers to life will not be found by examining DNA.
Unless of course you have decided that that is all you are....... a lump of meat. In which case you are on the wrong forum.
Try Biology maybe......
By the way , what is animating your DNA?

Answer 6

Now, if god created man separate from the animals, how do we explain this?

We are separate from them today. Unless there are Ape Human Hybrids somewhere I'm not aware of.

Answer 7

Even thou I am an atheist and an evolutionist, I share 99% DNA with my 3 year old son. Did I evolve from my 3 year old son?

Only saying, the DNA links are part of a puzzle.

Answer 8

Just because some things are similiar does not mean they share a common ancestory.

Answer 9

hey i believe in God
but i cant look into a baby orangutans eyes and not see just a baby
they are bright , loving , intelligent ... sometimes more so than us
why wouldn't God create us from the same stuff... it isn't short cuts , it is genius

Answer 10

You're right! I am now an evolutionist. Wonder why the 1,000,000 other posts on this same subject were unable to change my mind? Get some more original material dude, 'cause you're boring.