Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 12:31:39 -0600
From: "Jorge Gonzalez Nakazawa" <jnakazawa-AT-softtek.com>
Subject: Re: On Apes




John T. Duryea wrote:

> >How's this? (my ellipsis):
> >
> >"If the sequences of humans and chimpanzees are compared nucleotide by
> >nucleotide, they differ by only 1.7%. Humans and gorillas differ by 1.8%,
> >almost as little; humans and orangutans, 3.3%, humans and gibbons, 4.3%,
> >humans and rhesus monkeys, 7%, humans and lemurs, 22.6%....
> >
> >When ACGT sequences that are mainly active genes are examined, a 99.6%
> >identity is found between the human and chimp. At the level of the working
> >geners, only about 0.4% of the DNA of humans is different from the DNA of
> >chimps....
> >
> >On the basis of all the evidence, the closest relative of the human proves
> >to be the chimp. The closest relative of the chimp is the human. Not
> >orangs, but people. Us. Chimps and humans are nearer kin than are chimps
> >and gorillas or any other kinds of ape not of the same species. Gorillas
> >are the next closest relatives, both to chimps and to humans....By these
> >standards, humans and chimps ae about as closely related as horses and
> >donkeys, and are closer relatives than mice and rats, or turkeys and
> >chickens, or camels and llamas."
> >
> >-- Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, _Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors_, p. 276-277.
> >
>
> Funny, didn't chimps and Ice Age humans have a completely different diet and
> social structure, unlike mice and rats, turkeys and chickens or camels and
> llamas? Hey, if the facts don't fit in the picture, throw them out. Gee,
> science sure is a wonderful thing!
>
> John T. Duryea
>
>         --- from list nietzsche-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

  Mr. Duryea, do you really believe that if the active genes or humans and
chimps are, according to the cited text, 99.4% equal this must imply that human
and chimp social structure and diet will be the same?  It occurs to me that
there are great differences between the diets and social structure of many human
cultures. Should we consider then that different cultures must constitute
different species?

J.Nakazawa



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