Chimpanzee Is Human's Closest Relative, Say Researchers

Chimpanzees are remarkably close to human beings in their genetic makeup, UW Genome Sciences Chair Robert Waterston and others announced Sept. 1 in the journal Nature. Comparing 3 billion genetic "letters" in the two species' blueprints, they found they are 96 percent identical.

"Reading these two genomes side by side, it's amazing to see the evolutionary changes that are occurring," Waterston told USA Today. "I couldn't imagine Darwin looking for stronger confirmation of his theories."

In summarizing the results, the editors of Nature called the work "a landmark in the study of our closest living relative." They said, "The paper describes changes that have shaped human and chimpanzee species since the split from our common ancestor, and hints at what makes us uniquely human."

Nature: "Editor's Summary: The Chimpanzee Genome"

Also see:

• USA Today: "Humans, Chimps Almost a Match"
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Chimp, Human DNA Comparison Finds Vast Similarities, Key Differences"
• Seattle Times: "Researchers: Chimp is Man's Closest Living Relative"