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Subject: Re: Life imitates art?
Message-ID: <5568@sci.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-May-87 01:26:23 EDT
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Posted: Fri May 29 01:26:23 1987
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In article <724@bsu-cs.UUCP>, 00psdunn@bsu-cs.UUCP (Paul S. Dunn) writes:
> As I recall from my biology days, the scientists who believe in evolution hold
> that humans and apes evolved from common ancestors, but are NOT the same spe-
> cies. (Different branches on the evolutionary tree.)

Should this really be going to all these newsgroups?  Oh well.

There is a popular article on molecular biology called "The Naked Chimp:
Molecules and the Proof of Human Origins", by John Gribbin.  The topic, of
course, is rather controversial.  It starts off by saying that humans share
99% of their genetic material with the African apes, and split off from
chimpanzees four to five million years ago.  Gorillas seem to have split
off of that line five to six million years ago.  The article goes on to
say that it would make sense to change the human's classification from
HOMO SAPIENS to PAN SAPIENS.  It points out that humans are closely enough
related to gorillas that it is virtually certain that there exist humans
whose hemoglobin is identical to gorilla hemoglobin, and that at this level,
at least, the differences between man and gorilla is no more significant
than the difference between individual humans.

Oops.  I seem to have misread your article--sorry.  Humans are not the
same species as chimpanzees, as chimpanzees are not the same species as
gorillas.  However, we all seem to be apes.


david rickel
decwrl!sci!daver