Interesting

[patgund]

Based on genetic research showing that Chimpanzees share 99.4% of functionally important DNA with humans, there's an arguement that both common chimpanzees and bonobo chimpanzees need to reclassified in the Homo genus along with humans.

Study: Chimps Belong in Human Genus

Also

Chimps are Human, gene study implies

Comments

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Memories from my anthropology degree coming up here - technically, on the grounds of genetic similarity, not only should they be in the same genus, they should be considered a "sister species" (a term which admittedly, not many people who don't study these fields are familiar with)

From a cladistics point of view, the way that humans and the great apes are classified is all wrong. However, the cladistics point of view is not the only one - anyway, that's the excuse that was given me when I was an anthropology student.

This question is nothing new.

It's possible

[patgund.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall some debate a couple years ago about the Flamingo and the Grebe, (a short-legged duck-like aquatic bird) that were identified as sister species though genetics. And they share even fewer characteristics than Humans and Chimps. So there is some arguement in favour of the sister species concept.

The proof of the pudding would be if they could produce viable and fertile hybrid offspring. Horses and Donkeys aren't seen as sister species usually because the offspring is almost always sterile. Wolves and Dogs are seen as sister species, (Indeed, some argue they should be the same species), because they can cross-breed and create fertile offspring, even though the estrus cycles are different between the two. The problem is there's no way to ethically test this with Humans and Chimps in the lab.

However, the Wolf / Dog comparison here may not be functional, because the split between the two is only about 5000 years, vs. 4-6 mly for Human / Chimp.

Not that familar with cladistics, so can't say much regarding that

Re: It's possible

[angelique69.livejournal.com]

Though people speculating on the AIDS are always claiming that SOMEONE was doing monkeys and transmitted it. *Sighs* Blessed Be, Angelique