Q195
General ScienceBiology
Which of the following ape(s) is/are genetically closest to the modern humans (Homo sapiens)?
- a.Chimpanzee and Bonobo
- b.Gorilla
- c.Orangutan
- d.Gibbon
Answer: (A) Chimpanzee and Bonobo
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) are the closest living relatives of humans, sharing nearly 99% of our DNA; the human line separated from theirs about 6 to 7 million years ago. Next in closeness come the gorilla, then the orangutan, and last the gibbons, which are 'lesser apes'. Humans and the great apes together form the family Hominidae. A related fact: humans have 46 chromosomes while the great apes have 48, because two ancestral chromosomes fused to form human chromosome 2. India's only ape is the hoolock gibbon of the North-East.