In the article “Why Are Chimps Still Chimps?” published on February of 2012 by authors Norman J. Johnson, James J. Smith, Briana Pobiner, and Caitlin Schrein write about chimps and why they are still around today. Many people ask the question, if we evolved from chimps then why are they still here? The authors purpose of this article is to answer that very question. They write that the reasons chimps are still around today is because humans did not evolve from living chimps. Instead, both human and chimps evolved from a common ancestor that is now extinct.
The authors quickly go into making their first point by discussing two evolutionary patterns. They are called anagenesis and cladogenesis. Anagenesis is a single lineage and cladogenesis
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leads to two or more lineages. It is believed that humans and chimps come from a common ancestor which means that they would be put into the cladogenesis category, however, students have many misconceptions about evolution. When the word “common ancestor” is mentioned individuals may automatically assume that means one ancestor which isn’t necessarily true. Instead, the authors want the readers to think of the following concept: a person may have a distant cousin and they share a great-great-grandparent. This method helps students realize that they didn’t descend from their cousin but they share a common ancestor. The authors then go on to discuss the differences and similarities between chimps and humans.
Overall, chimps have a smaller brain size, humans have greater intellectual abilities, and the bodies between chimps and humans are different. However, despite these differences, chimps and humans have similar chromosome patterns. According to the authors, “...chimp and human chromosomes can be paired up such that each human chromosome has a corresponding chimp chromosome.” Humans and chimps also have a similar nucleotide pattern in their DNA. The authors then go on to discuss the changes that occurred along the human and chimp lineage and they came up with three separate scenarios. The first scenario is that humans have evolved more since the split. The second scenario is that more evolutionary change has taken place in the chimp lineage and the third scenario is that the amount of evolutionary change between humans and chimps has actually been equal since the split. It is believed that human and chimps immune systems and reproductive functions were evolutionary changes that took place in order for them to …show more content…
adapt. This article would be very convincing for the readers because there is a lot of facts and research being used. For example, when they talk about how chimps and humans share similarities in the sequence of nucleotides in their DNA, they include percentages that compare the difference. Humans and chimps differ by 1.2% on a single nucleotide basis. By giving the readers that specific number, they are backing up their argument by using proof which makes it more believable. It appears that the authors are citing credible sources and they use other people’s research to help prove their points. The sources the authors used are extremely reputable. They used many different resources for this article, but when looking through their references, I can see that they used a lot of books for their research. I also noticed that the authors themselves are either professors, outreach and education specialists, or even a doctoral candidate. This tells me that they are most likely extremely knowledgeable about this topic and it makes their article more credible. The authors really overemphasized DNA between chimps and humans. From what I could tell, this was one of their main focuses throughout the article. They talked a lot about genes in order to show the readers the evolutionary changes that took place between chimps and humans. Throughout the article, it doesn’t appear that the authors were just one sided. They are trying to convince the readers about their main point and they understand common questions or confusion that an individual may have. They answer those questions by talking about previous research that has been conducted and they use a lot of facts. They are really just trying to educate the readers on why chimps are still around even though they share a common ancestor with humans. This article really fits in with the weekly readings.
In chapter 3 of our book, we learn about the biological basis of life which is all about cells, DNA, genes, etc. This works really well with the article because the authors talk a lot about DNA, chromosomes and genes. We also learn about cell division in chapter 3 of our book. By reading about this process before reading the article, we are able to understand what the authors are talking about with all of their technical terms. By understanding our biology, we may be able to comprehend what the authors are trying to say. In chapter 4 of our textbook, we learn about heredity and evolution. This also went hand in hand with the article because the authors discuss evolution. The textbook explains heredity and evolution very well. It talks about traits and some offspring can receive traits that don’t appear similar to their parents. The textbook also talks about the modern evolution theory and how it is a two-stage process. By understanding evolution it makes the article easier to read. The authors of the article do an excellent job of explaining evolution which I mentioned earlier. Overall, it is clear that the weekly readings really help before reading the article because it just explains things a little more that the authors didn’t mention or go into detail
about. I thought that the article was really intriguing. I liked that the authors decided to talk about why chimps are still around because that has always been something I wondered about. This article really helped me to understand the evolutionary process. To be honest, it was hard for me to read and I found myself getting lost throughout the article. They have a lot of information and at times I thought it was overwhelming. Although it was a well written article, I just think that some people would have a hard time understanding it if they weren’t familiar with biology. One question I have for the authors is would it be possible to completely recreate the common ancestor between chimps and humans so individuals can have a physical image in their head? This article made me realize that it is possible that humans didn’t evolve from chimps and they were more likely to have a common ancestor. This article was extremely interesting and it taught me a lot of different things I didn’t know.
Dr. Goodall is a well-known British primatologist who has discovered a substantial amount about primates in her many years of research. She has written numerous books, including one that we will be going into depth about called, “Through a Window.” Her book contains personal experiences, research findings, and even pictures to help the readers visualize her scientific breaking moments from her thirty years with the chimpanzees of Gombe. She states that there is are minor differences, and several similarities between humans and the chimpanzees. We will discuss these differences and similarities through their social behavior, intellectual ability, and emotions. To conclude, examine Goodall’s research to adopt what her findings can tell us about our early ancestors, and whether or not her study coincided to the steps of scientific methodology.
Jane Goodall Among the Wild Chimpanzees Jane Goodall is a woman who has and still does work with chimpanzees in Tanzania, South Africa. The first time she went to Tanzania was on July 14, 1960 when she was just 26 years old. Because of her research and studies of many different chimpanzees, we as humans will be able to better understand ourselves and other primates. At first, Jane just sat on a peak at the top of a mountain, so that she could observe the chimps. The chimpanzees would keep a safe distance away so they were able to watch Jane and make sure that she wasn’t going to hurt them in any way.
This article, titled Common Ground, written by Barbara Smuts, points out the main differences between humans and apes, such as our upright stance, large brains, and capacity for spoken language and abstract reasoning. However, the main point of this article is to emphasize the many similarities that apes share with us. Smuts goes into great detail about how human social and emotional tendencies are very reflective in the family of apes.
It is said that the humanoid existence begins in Africa. It is no coincidence that Africa is also the home to Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, and Bonobos, Pan paniscus. These are humans’ two closest living relatives, both sharing almost 99% of the human genome through common descent. While humans were said to have separated from Chimpanzees around 5-7 million years ago , Bonobos separated from its Chimp cousins around 2 million years ago . Bonobos inhabit a single part of Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo South of the Congo River, unlike the Chimpanzee, which inhabits Across West- and Central Africa, with remaining populations distributed over several countries. While these two apes where once thought to be the same species, up until the beginning of the 20th century , there are many differences socially, as well as physically, that make Bonobos more than a Pygmy Chimp. With disparities in morphology, behavior, perhaps even emotions and cognition, and known as the “make love, not war chimp” , how can this ape be so vastly different from its notoriously violent Pan cousin, but yet share the same amount of similar DNA to Homo sapiens? And what does this mean for the studies of human and past humanoid behavior?
The evolution of man is constantly in question. While we are reasonably sure that modern humans and primates are both related to the same common ancestor, there is constant debate over what initially caused the two species to split into early hominids and apes. According to some, our longest and most popular theory on the division of man and ape is profoundly wrong. However, those same individuals usually offer an equally controversial theory as a substitute, one that is almost impossible to scientifically test or prove. Both the Savanna Theory and the Aquatic Ape Theory offer solutions to how and why humans evolved into bipedal toolmakers. But with enough questioning, each loses its accountability to rhetorical science.
Although the practice of collecting animals have been present since 2500 B.C (Dunlap and Kellert), efforts to keep animals in a safe and natural habitat have been poorly consummated. Psychological manipulation has consequentially drawn chimpanzees to mental illness, as in the article “How Abnormal Is the Behavior of Captive, Zoo-Living Chimpanzees?” Lucy P. Birkett and Nicholas E. Newton-Fisher wrote, “Many chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) kept in laboratory housing settings show a variety of serious behavioral abnormalities, such as, repetitive rocking, drinking of urine, or self-mutilation.” Social and maternal separation for the benifit of reasearch are linked to psychological traumatic as well (Dunlap and Kellert). Although through history the service of zoos have been for entertainment, it is a trivial reason for holding chimpanzees in confidment. Subsequently, it is inhumane to take primates from the wild and place them in a zoo, commercial, or laboratory setting, which strips them of their ability to act naturally.
In primates such as chimpanzees it is imperative to look at their culture to understand their intelligence. Culture in this circumstance means a specific set of behaviors obtained through learning in a population/species. Chimpanzee’s intelligence is quite unique how they interact with their environment and use it to their benefit just like humans. They have the ability to overcome the obstacles of everyday life through learning and the ability to use tools to create a better quality of life. The complexity of their intellect is different from any other animal ever seen. A significant part of chimpanzee intelligence that sets them apart from other primates and puts them closer to humans is the way they exhibit social learning within their culture and interactions within their environment.
The argument of whether or not humans evolved from monkeys is constantly tossed around in our society with the emergence of more and more scientific discoveries. Evolution across such a broad spectrum is known as macroevolution, or changes that happen at or above the species level. Both popular and academic discourses debate the religious and moral issues associated with macroevolution and its propositions. The main person behind the idea of evolution was Charles Darwin who theorized that everything comes from a common ancestor. In the magazine article “Was Darwin Wrong?” featured in a 2004 issue of National Geographic, David Quammen discusses whether or not Darwin’s findings in evolution theory were correct. This article was targeted for
...ok goes back and forth between factual writing and narrative making it really confusing. To add to the confusion there is a Glossary for “scientific words” which means if you do not understand something you will have to go back and forth pages. Most of the things touched in the book we have already discussed in classes like General Biology, Molecular Genetics and Bioanalytical Techniques. I feel the book is geared towards people with some degree of knowledge in Biology (like High School students) and an interest in Genetics and honestly society works now on instant gratification, why would I have to pay to hear the opinion of an incredibly accomplished old man when I can look up in the internet the opinion of someone maybe less ignorant than you and form myself an opinion based of someone else’s firm opinion.
Chimpanzees are part of the non-human primate group. Though we share a common ancestor, evolution has pushed us in different directions. However this common ancestor causes humans to be curious about these creatures. As discussed in Jane Goodall’s video Among the Wild Chimpanzees we were once considered to be human because of our use of tools but once we observed these non-human primates using tools, this perception was changed forever. The question now at hand is if having the chimpanzees that we study in captivity makes a difference between studying wild chimps. These interesting creatures can be found naturally in the rainforests of Africa.
Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection explains the general laws by which any given species transforms into other varieties and species. Darwin extends the application of his theory to the entire hierarchy of classification and states that all forms of life have descended from one incredibly remote ancestor. The process of natural selection entails the divergence of character of specific varieties and the subsequent classification of once-related living forms as distinct entities on one or many levels of classification. The process occurs as a species varies slightly over the course of numerous generations. Through inheritance, natural selection preserves each variation that proves advantageous to that species in its present circumstances of living, which include its interaction with closely related species in the “struggle for existence” (Darwin 62).
According to National Geographic, scientists have sequenced the genome factor of the chimpanzee and found that humans are 98.5% similar to the ape species. The chimpanzee is our closest relative in the animal kingdom; however, some people are not aware of our resembling traits with chimpanzees. Jane Goodall’s, In the Shadow of Man, describes some similar traits humans and chimpanzees have such as their facial expressions and emotions, use of tools, and diet.
4. Cladistics and evolutionary systematics are two approaches to classification. How are they similar and how are they different? What are the benefits of using one over another?
Web. The Web. The Web. 11 February 2014 “Biology: Evolution”. The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference.
Work Cited Colby, Chris. A. Web. " An Introduction to Evolutionary Biology." 28 August 2015.