Chimps and Humans

Fascinating article on the current state of knowledge concerning our closest relative the chimpanzee. The DNA sequence similarity between chimps and humans is very high. There are almost no differences in most proteins, only a few show significant differences. Not surprisingly, the similarities in behavior and mental capabilities are also very high. As research into chimp behavior and abilities goes on, it is turning out that there are fewer differences between us than once supposed. Chimps are fairly adept tool users, we can no longer claim that title exclusively. Apparently too, chimps are better at short term memory than are humans. All in all it is an excellent read.