How are humans and apes similar?
Original question: What are the similarities between humans and apes?
Since humans are apes, that's like asking the similarities between water and H2O.
The similarities between humans and other apes?
We're about 1.2% different than chimpanzees (both P. paniscus and P. troglodytes), genetically. Not much difference at all on the genetic level. (The difference in intelligence is due to a single gene timing change - not even a different gene, just in its timing.)
The farther back you go in evolution, the larger the difference. We're about 1.6% different than gorillas. About 3.1% from the orangutan.
Similarities other than genetic?
Bonobos (P. paniscus) are matriarchal. P. troglodytes lives in female/child groups, and the males form a sort of loosely-knit "boys' club". Gorillas have harems. (I'm not sure about orangs.)
Most chimpanzees don't seem to have a recognition of 'self', as being the same as 'others', but a different individual. (They seem to view others as just part of the environment, like animated trees.) Elephants do. We do. Other apes don't seem to.
They all are fully covered in hair, we're not.
P. troglodytes can fish for termites - humans can't. (Not that we'd want to, but the researchers who've tried aren't taught by chimpanzees who can, so it's something they have to figure out all by themselves, while chimps have probably been doing it for a few million years, not getting much at first, then getting better over the millennia.)
So not many similarities, except for our genes.
Original question: What are the similarities between humans and apes?
Since humans are apes, that's like asking the similarities between water and H2O.
The similarities between humans and other apes?
We're about 1.2% different than chimpanzees (both P. paniscus and P. troglodytes), genetically. Not much difference at all on the genetic level. (The difference in intelligence is due to a single gene timing change - not even a different gene, just in its timing.)
The farther back you go in evolution, the larger the difference. We're about 1.6% different than gorillas. About 3.1% from the orangutan.
Similarities other than genetic?
Bonobos (P. paniscus) are matriarchal. P. troglodytes lives in female/child groups, and the males form a sort of loosely-knit "boys' club". Gorillas have harems. (I'm not sure about orangs.)
Most chimpanzees don't seem to have a recognition of 'self', as being the same as 'others', but a different individual. (They seem to view others as just part of the environment, like animated trees.) Elephants do. We do. Other apes don't seem to.
They all are fully covered in hair, we're not.
P. troglodytes can fish for termites - humans can't. (Not that we'd want to, but the researchers who've tried aren't taught by chimpanzees who can, so it's something they have to figure out all by themselves, while chimps have probably been doing it for a few million years, not getting much at first, then getting better over the millennia.)
So not many similarities, except for our genes.
