2007-11-13 04:33:28 · 24 answers · asked by Scott B 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Nope.
It all comes down to genes - we don't have the same number of chromosomes as our ape cousins, and even if we did, they have different genes on different chromosomes than we do. In order to have a pregnancy, genes have to be on the same chromosomes and line up pretty much exactly.
Otherwise, all you get is creepy monkey porn.
2007-11-13 04:37:04 · answer #1 · answered by Brian L 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Actually, a chimpanzee could. As a human has 46 chromosomes and a chimpanzee has 44, then they could have offspring. However, this child would be sterile, as it would have an odd number of chromosomes, making meiosis impossible. It could be done with a male human and female chimpanzee as well.
It would be similar to mules; mating a horse with donkey. There are many examples of hybrids. It would be difficult, though, to convince anyone that it is a good idea so you could get a volunteer.
I must admit that I am surprised at the answers ahead of mine. Virtually every single one is incorrect. Many said that apes and humans are too genetically different. That is not true. A male human shares more than 98.5% of his genes with a male chimpanzee. That is a greater amount than that human shares with another female human. Genetically, chimpanzees and human are almost identical.
Another thing many were incorrect about was the definition of a species. It is not that they can produce viable young, but FERTILE young. Viable just means that they are able to survive. By this definition, donkeys and horses, sheep and goats, and Bengal tigers and lions would all be pairs of the same species.
2007-11-13 16:21:41 · answer #2 · answered by Duke Paul-Muad'Dib Atreides 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gorillas are apes along with Gibbons, Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Orangutans and Humans...and the simple answer is that we don't know. The experiment has supposedly never been done due to ethical reasons.
However, the gossip mill in the primate world says that back in the day, the experiment was done. A female chimpanzee was impregnated using human sperm and gave birth to a live child. The rumor also goes that the child was soon euthenized because of ethical concerns.
I too would be curious to know the answer, but I also pray that there are no mad scientist out there (and that there never were and this really is just a rumor).
Oh, and the different number of chromosomes thing is wrong. It's really a matter of how they line up and the reason Chimpanzees have more chromosomes is that there was a division along one of them, however, the 2 line up with 1 of ours.
P.S. Yes, the definition of species is supposed to be that they can no longer mate and produce viable offspring. But this definition is old and was never really tested. In recent years we have shown this to be quite wrong. We still call things different species when in actually they should mearly be different populations and visa versa. The definition has never been revised to accurately reflect our new knowledge such as DNA mapping etc.
2007-11-13 05:59:26 · answer #3 · answered by tiger b 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
IT depends on how closely related the species are. Som species can interbreed such as horses and donkeys and produce offspring, but the offspring almost always are infertile.
The differences between humans and apes are too vast to allow the production of a viable offspring. Our genetic information is simply too different and not compatable. So No, it can never happen.
2007-11-13 04:38:43 · answer #4 · answered by billgoats79 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Technically monkeys are primates so only the same species can mate with each other. A primate can't mate with a human because monkeys are shaped differently that us. If we were related to monkeys and primates we would walk with our leg in a different joint than we have now. Our legs would be bent and we would walk with a waddle like monkeys do. We would have our ams longer than our torso so that they would hang so we could walk on them. In a way, humans cannot mate with primates even though we have some similar characteristics. If my answer is incorrect go to this link.
2007-11-13 04:48:06 · answer #5 · answered by Karizma 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No, they are different species. If that's not right, I don't know the reason it's not possible, but it's NO.
BTW, I saw on a discovery channel show that an ape's penis is WAY smaller than a human penis. So, it probably couldn't even reach. There's test tube babies. . .but who'd volunteer for that?!?
2007-11-13 04:39:58 · answer #6 · answered by ♥ тнє σяιgιиαℓ gιяℓfяι∂αу ♥ 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes
Do you guys have any ape or gorrilla friends? I would watch out ;)
2007-11-13 04:36:52 · answer #7 · answered by HUSSLA 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not possible. The genetic material is too different. Like a cat and a lion.
2007-11-13 04:37:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
NO. That is what makes us different species: our genes are too dissimilar to produce a viable offspring. It never ceases to amaze me how often I hear this question, although usually from high-school students. What is going through people's heads?!?
2007-11-13 05:10:50 · answer #9 · answered by Monika 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You would think no, but there is this legend of an ape that this couple bought and it was ape but seemed to be part human part ape. do an internet search for humanzee. I think it really is a farce
2007-11-13 04:39:15 · answer #10 · answered by david b 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋