• Question: what is the missing link between human and apes?

    Asked by bigpackage to Fiona, Joanna on 25 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Fiona Randall

      Fiona Randall answered on 25 Jun 2010:

      We have 99% of the same genes as great apes like the Chimpanzee. The other 1% are the ones that encode the things that make us different, like the use of complex language to communicate, the ability to reason, and having social awareness and a conscience. We also look in the mirror and see ourselves as we are what is called ‘self-aware’. Apes look in the mirror and think they see another animal. Human babies are not self-aware when they are born but this develops over time.

    • Photo: Joanna Brooks

      Joanna Brooks answered on 25 Jun 2010:

      Hello again! Modern humans are thought to have evolved tens of thousands of years ago after breaking away from chimpanzees and gorillas millions of years before that. But I think that scientists are still trying to understand the ‘missing links’ which are gaps in our knowledge about the exact time-line of the genus ‘Homo’ (the human species).

      Humans are now known as ‘homo sapiens’ but a million years ago (or maybe more) humans were still ‘homo erectus’ which was another species of human. But what happened in between? One thing scientists still debate is whether or not there were other sub-species of human – I think this is what you could call a ‘missing link’.

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