1. Chimpanzees: Our Closest Living Relatives
Humans share approximately 98.8% of their DNA with chimpanzees, marking them as our closest living relatives. (amnh.org) This genetic overlap manifests in behaviors, emotions, and basic biological functions. For example, both species share genes related to brain development and immune response. (genome.gov) Slight differences, though, account for traits like language and advanced reasoning. (medschool.duke.edu) This profound similarity demonstrates our recent common ancestry. (broadinstitute.org)