Why our common ancestor with chimpanzees keeps getting further away
The more we learn about chimpanzees, the more they resemble us – but the further back in time our shared ancestor seems to be. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how both can be true
West African chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives, sharing a common ancestor with humans. Recent research has revealed that chimpanzees learn many behaviors through observing others, such as tool-making, feeding, and grooming. These behaviors are culturally learned, highlighting the chimpanzees' cultural flexibility.
Interestingly, the genetic and fossil evidence suggests that the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees existed between 13 million and 5.5 million years ago, which is a broader range than previously thought. This discrepancy may be due to different lines of evidence providing conflicting answers, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact date of the divergence between humans and chimpanzees.
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