been researching genetics and noticed humans and chimps are much nearer chromosomewise than many species that successfully breed hybrids so, even tho ive always heard humans cant hybrid with any nonhumans, i looked in to it and found this interesting thing.

    • halloween_spookster@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      https://www.science.org/content/article/bonobos-join-chimps-closest-human-relatives

      Article from 2012:

      Chimpanzees now have to share the distinction of being our closest living relative in the animal kingdom. An international team of researchers has sequenced the genome of the bonobo for the first time, confirming that it shares the same percentage of its DNA with us as chimps do. The team also found some small but tantalizing differences in the genomes of the three species—differences that may explain how bonobos and chimpanzees don’t look or act like us even though we share about 99% of our DNA.

      • SpikesOtherDog@ani.social
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        12 days ago

        https://cincinnatizoo.org/celebrating-vernon-the-oldest-mammal-at-the-cincinnati-zoo/

        The Cincinnati Zoo has been maintaining that bonobos are our closest living relative for over 17 years

        I’m not strongly disputing the information you provided, I’m just pointing out what I have seen. There does seem to be some professional dispute about this:

        https://www.bonobos.org/blog/bonobos-our-living-ancestor/

        The idea that chimps and bonobos are equally similar in DNA is probably correct. I see it repeated on NPR, Duke Universe, and the NIH. My guess is that the push for differentiation is some combination of conversation efforts and both morphological and social studies.

        • halloween_spookster@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          I’m far from an expert but from what I understand, it’s hard to really define the generic similarities since it’s not a contiguous chunk of DNA that’s the same. It’s piecemeal and fragmented. So it makes sense that even the experts in the field would have arguments about it. Nonetheless it does seem like the three of us are closest, but the specifics are still being researched.

          • SpikesOtherDog@ani.social
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            12 days ago

            Hah, yeah, this is very far from my specialty, fixing computers. I only felt empowered by my many trips to the zoo and Google-fu.

    • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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      13 days ago

      The human lineage diverged from that of chimps and bonobos before chimps and bonobos diverged from each other.

      • SpikesOtherDog@ani.social
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        13 days ago

        It might create a sterile hybrid, similar to a mule. Whatever the case, explaining the result of this to another being that could understand and explaining the innate cruelty in their creation is significantly beyond me.

      • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        Would you believe that the Chinese often over sell their scientific achievements? Well, for every 100 legitimate Chinese scientists, you’ll have a batshit insane or bold face liar “scientists” that makes the headlines. I had to debunk an “invisibility cloak” that fooled my friends a few years ago.

      • ✨🗝🪄♠️🎩♠️🪄🕸✨@sh.itjust.worksOP
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        13 days ago

        “Complexities and partial sterility pertain to horse–zebra hybrids, or zorses, whose chromosomal disparity is very wide, with horses typically having 32 chromosome pairs and zebras between 16 and 23 depending on species.”