Chimps should be homos.

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by TheAlphaWolf, Jan 24, 2006.

  1. TheAlphaWolf Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    445
    Lol, no I don't mean homosexuals, I mean in the homo genus.
    Take a look at this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10994885/
    Chimps more like humans than apes
    ...
    And by revealing this through DNA analysis, scientists have provided support for a controversial hypothesis that chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than to other species of great apes with which they're currently classified.
    ...
    But a study in 2003 found that 99.4 percent of important DNA sites are the same in chimps and humans.
    ...
    "I think we can say that this study provides further support for the hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees should be in one genus, rather than two different genus' because we not only share extremely similar genomes, we share similar generation time,"
     
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  3. Hercules Rockefeller Beatings will continue until morale improves. Moderator

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    I have never had much knowledge or experience in systematics, cladistics, phylogeny etc, so I have always wondered to what extent the “old fashioned” classifications have been modified in the light of modern molecular genetic information. Frequently? Sometimes?

    On the genetic information alone it seems rather obvious that chimps and humans should be in the same genus. But then again, there are a lot of very obvious physiological differences. I wonder to what extent “anthropomorphic resistance” will determine whether chimps are re-classified. <P>
     
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  5. blankc Your superior Registered Senior Member

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    ^Interestingly, the 18th century taxonomists were originally inclined to include chimps into the genus homo, but outside pressures forced them to "reconsider". I wouldn't doubt if they never get properly reassigned as part of the genus homo, there's a massive bias and double standard with homonid classification(such as neanderthal being classed as a seperate species using evidence that would also exclude australian aborigines! mtDNA difference ftr.).
     
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