Humans are an animal species that is part of the order primates, just like our closest relatives, the apes. For this reason it is not surprising that we have many things in common with these animals, but more specifically with chimpanzees, who are commonly considered as "first cousins" of man.
If you want to know what we have in common with primates and chimpanzees… Don't miss this article on our site! You'll be amazed at all the similarities between humans and chimpanzees that exist, from the way we walk and think to the games we share. We are like two drops of water!
Similarities between humans and chimpanzees
Within the family of mammals we can find the primates, a large group that includes around 445 living species, including humans and chimpanzees. Numerous studies claim that these species evolved from a common ancestor, the Plesiadapis, a primate that lived on Earth approximately 65 million years ago.
Ape Brain
Despite what it may seem, the differences between the animal and human brain are not that remarkable. In fact, the brain of apes, specifically that of chimpanzees, works in a very similar way to that of people in terms of communication.
Both chimpanzees and humans activate the same brain area when they communicate, either through signs or by vocalization. This further strengthens the theory of common ancestry among all apes.
What do we have in common with primates?
Currently, the primates that inhabit the Earth share great characteristics, such as the aforementioned ability to communicate through some kind of of language, or the creation of simple cultures based on behaviors and knowledge that are inherited from generation to generation. However, there are a couple of primates that have been the subject of numerous studies due to their similarities, humans and chimpanzees.
About 99% of the basic DNA sequence is the same in humans and chimpanzees. After some 6 million years of evolution, today both primates essentially share almost the same genes, around 25,000, making them almost "first cousins", genetically speaking.
Given these shared characteristics, below, we present a large number of behavioral similarities that occur consistently between both.
Locomotion system
The first of the similarities between humans and chimpanzees is that they share the same way of walking, upright on two legs and with a very similar skeletal morphology. Although they differ in the rotation of the pelvis, much more accentuated in chimpanzees, the magnitude of the movements when walking is practically the same in both primates.
This similarity suggests that the system of locomotion common ancestor to chimpanzees and humans might have beenbipedal , very efficient and very similar to that of current species.
Tools use
Although all primates have 4 legs, they do not necessarily need to have all of them on the ground to maintain balance. In fact, they are able to raise their hind limbs to pick up food or materials, and even create their own with their hands.
In particular, chimpanzees use this ability to create their tools with, for example, dry branches, stones, etc. A highly useful tactic for food, socializing, or as a weapon to defend yourself.
Reflections
Another similarity between humans and chimpanzees is the ability to analyze thoughts and reflect about them. These mental processes, known as metacognition, are present in chimpanzees, and allow them, like humans, to make decisions based on intelligent thoughts and reflections. They know what they know and what their limitations are, and they know how to act accordingly.
Morality
The good and the bad, something that is easy to identify for people, but not for the animal kingdom, right? Chimpanzees once again show how close they are to human primates with a capacity for morality very similar to theirs.
Chimpanzees know what is correct and identify what is not, especially when something inappropriate happens to the smallest of the group. Scientific studies show that adult members react with indignation and become angry when another member harms one of the youngof her species.
Smiles
In communication, both primates share similarities, as we have seen before, but this time we are going to highlight the expressions of positive emotionsSomething that seems unique and exclusive to human primates, smiles and laughter, has been shown to already exist in our ape ancestors and is also present in the characteristics of our first cousins.
So another of the similarities between humans and chimpanzees is that they can gesticulate a multitude of smiles, from laughter to shyly quiet smiles.
Games
During infancy and youth, chimpanzees enjoy games, just as we humans do. This activity, whose sole purpose is entertainment, allows both species to establish and forge the social relationships with the animals that share games and develop skills oflogic, imagination and cooperation
Likewise, as occurs in human primates, game activity varies depending on age, being in childhood when more games based on cooperation are shared and in youth more games focused on competition.
Hot meal
What do you prefer to eat: a cooked or raw potato? The answer will surely be cooked, because it is what our palate is used to and what tastes best to us. However, we are not the only ones in the animal kingdom to experience this. Impressively, chimpanzees, given the choice, favor more for cooked food
So much so that, even if they do not understand and control the functionality of fire well, if they are provided with ready-made utensils for cooking, such as a lit frying pan, chimpanzees can easily learn to use them to cook their meals. foods.
Friendship
Another similarity between humans and chimpanzees is that these animals create friendship just like we do. They share food, entertain themselves, collaborate and even comfort each other. But not every member of the species can be a good friend, as with humans, chimpanzees also have certain preferences when it comes to making friends, based on similar personality traits. Shy people tend to get along better with shy people, for example.
Numeric Memory
Thus we come to the last of our similarities between humans and chimpanzees. However, on this occasion, chimpanzees not only resemble humans, but even surpass them. The memorizing ability of numbers displayed on a screen by juvenile chimpanzees is superior to that of humansScientists associate this ability with photographic memory, which is present in humans but tends to decrease with age.
You may also be interested in the origin and evolution of primates.
