Gorilla Genome Mapping Completed

[MTI]

Last of the Great Apes Gene Sequences Mapped

Overall, the data suggest that gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps about 10 million years ago, and that chimps and humans split from each other about 4 million years after that. This helps to clear up the evolutionary conundrum of the three types of great ape. “For a long time there was a discordance between the fossil evidence and genetic estimates, in the sense that genetic estimates came up with speciation times that were more recent,” says Scally.

[elchivito]

Lock and load. Here we go....

[Kuan]

How do they determine it was 10 million years ago?

[MTI]

Originally Posted by Kuan

How do they determine it was 10 million years ago?

the article says "about 10 million" so that's give or take . . .

[Mike D]

Well, THAT explains why my doctor asked me for the DNA sample a few months ago...

[kerry]

Our primate relatives are very interesting from an ethical point of view. Just thinking about that today in relationship to whether Nietzsche is correct in his basic Master/Slave distinction. Early in our cultural evolution as a species, we didn't have slaves so Nietzsche can't be completely right. However, there are closely related primate species with pretty clear patters of dominance and submission in social relationships. The connection between our own ethics and those of chimps, gorillas and bonobos has to be pretty close.

[Kuan]

Originally Posted by Mike D

Well, THAT explains why my doctor asked me for the DNA sample a few months ago...

Does he suspect something about you?

[Kuan]

Originally Posted by MTI

the article says "about 10 million" so that's give or take . . .

I'd like further explanation how they determine that though, give or take or otherwise.

[elchivito]

As I recall it has to do with sequence variations and the timing of their occurrence.
Or something.

[Mike D]

Originally Posted by Kuan

Does he suspect something about you?

Well, it all started when I went to see him about the hair which was starting to grow on my back...

[The Clk Man]

Originally Posted by MTI

Last of the Great Apes Gene Sequences Mapped

Overall, the data suggest that gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps about 10 million years ago, and that chimps and humans split from each other about 4 million years after that. This helps to clear up the evolutionary conundrum of the three types of great ape. “For a long time there was a discordance between the fossil evidence and genetic estimates, in the sense that genetic estimates came up with speciation times that were more recent,” says Scally.

That explains why I stand on my porch and throw my poop at cars passing by.

[Dudesky]

Originally Posted by kerry

Our primate relatives are very interesting from an ethical point of view. Just thinking about that today in relationship to whether Nietzsche is correct in his basic Master/Slave distinction. Early in our cultural evolution as a species, we didn't have slaves so Nietzsche can't be completely right. However, there are closely related primate species with pretty clear patters of dominance and submission in social relationships. The connection between our own ethics and those of chimps, gorillas and bonobos has to be pretty close.

Annanoki played DNA games back 10 mill or so?

[elchivito]

I knew a girl in high school we called Anna Nooky