[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1420965035331{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”] It’s generally thought that gorillas are our closest relative, but actually it’s chimpanzees and the lesser known bonobo which share around 98.5% of our DNA. Chimps and bonobos are both part of the genus Pan. But whilst they are seen as equally close to us genetically, their behaviour is markedly different. Bonobo’s definitely have more ‘human’ traits; their musular-skeletal frame is similar to Australopithecus, our early human ancestor, with slender shoulders and longer legs, they can walk upright on two legs, whereas chimps can only do this briefly. They also have a flatter face than chimps. Bonobo’s live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and it’s thought that when the Congo River was formed it divided members of the Pan genus, and so each developed separately. Chimps are more widely distributed over Central and West Africa. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][ultimate_info_table design_style=”design01″ color_scheme=”custom” icon_type=”none” img_width=”48″ icon_size=”32″ icon_color=”#333333″ icon_style=”none” icon_color_bg=”#ffffff” icon_color_border=”#333333″ icon_border_size=”1″ icon_border_radius=”500″ icon_border_spacing=”50″ color_bg_main=”#cbeddf” color_txt_main=”#000000″ package_heading=”Which do you think are more like humans?”] BONOBO CHIMPANZEE (Pan paniscus) (Pan troglodytes) slender build, pink lips robust build, dark lips mother-son & bonds important female-female bonds important male-male bonds important. female-female bonds weak high pitched peep & yelp low pitched hoot, scream, grunt females form flat hierarchy no dominant males linear relationships among males clear alpha-male, or coalition of males Will not hunt other apes Will hunt colobus monkeys Will not kill to defend territory aggressive patrolling of boundaries. will kill to defend VERY frequent sexual behavior between all partner types sexual behavior only for reproduction sex used as a greeting and conflict resolution high ranking males guard fertile females [/ultimate_info_table][vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Sources: animalfactguide.com; evolutionaryanthropology.duke.edu; Images: bonobo vs. chimp – ngm.national geographic; [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
