Human-related threats such as habitat destruction, climate change and hunting have left about 60% of primate species threatened with extinction and about 75% with declining populations. The last common ancestor of all extant primates lived between 63.3 million and 58.3 million years ago during a time of remarkable evolutionary innovation in the aftermath of the asteroid strike 66 million years ago that doomed the dinosaurs and allowed mammals to achieve dominance. The study explored the origins of primates as a group. Our species Homo sapiens arose roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa before spreading worldwide. The human lineage, through a succession of species, subsequently acquired key characteristics such as bipedalism, longer limbs and a larger brain. The study adjusted the timeline for the divergence of the evolutionary lineage that led to people and the one that led to chimpanzees and bonobos, finding this milestone occurred 6.9 million to 9 million years ago, slightly longer ago than previously estimated. They also used the primate genomes to train an artificial intelligence algorithm to predict disease-causing genetic mutations in humans.Ĭhimpanzees and bonobos are the nearest genetically to humans, sharing roughly 98.8% of our DNA. While some genetic variations previously thought to be exclusive to people were found in other primate species, the researchers pinpointed others that were uniquely human involving brain function and development.
Researchers said on Thursday they sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 233 primate species, comprising nearly half of those alive today, and surprisingly discovered that most boast greater genetic diversity - variation within a species that is vital for adaptation to changing environments and other challenges - than humans. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The most comprehensive genomic study ever on primates - a group whose membership includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and people - has revealed pivotal genetic traits that are uniquely human while refining the timeline for our evolutionary lineage's split from our closest cousins, the chimpanzees and bonobos.
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