How similar are we really to chimpanzees?
Humans did not evolve from chimpanzees but we do share common ancestors.
Humans diverged from the chimpanzee lineage between 9.3 million and 6.5 million years ago, but we still share 98.8% of our DNA.
What do we have in common with chimpanzees?
We share many behaviours and traits with these beautiful animals.
Humans and chimpanzees love to play, smile and cook with their favourite ingredients. Like humans, chimpanzees are aware of the fact that they think, and they are aware of what they do and do not know. Chimpanzees are fair and moral and have an excellent sense of what is right and wrong, especially when it concerns their young. They will discriminate against those who demonstrate nefarious or unethical behaviour.
Chimpanzees are capable of building relationships and friendships and they seek comfort from their favourite individuals in times of stress. They are empathetic and compassionate and also respect their elders who pass down invaluable information.
They are also the only species in the world, other than humans, who will coordinate an attack on another member of their species. In other words, they can deliberately provoke war!
Will chimpanzees evolve to use language?
Homo-sapiens likely first evolved in Africa around 315,000 years ago. We only developed our capacity for language about 50,000 years ago, so we are a relatively young species and our language is even younger.
Instead of using a verbal language like humans, chimps use a rich variety of facial expressions and gestures to communicate. As well as this, in a study published in 2022, scientists found that chimpanzees can produce as many as 390 unique vocal sequences. They can communicate on a level comparable with human beings.
So, chimpanzees don’t need to evolve to use a language like ours; they’ve already got one!
