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Wild Chimpanzee Foundation

Why are we so similar

Chimpanzees are one of five great ape species. In addition to the human (Homo sapiens), the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), the gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), the bonobo (Pan paniscus) and the orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), all belong to the great ape family. 

Chimpanzees are our closest relatives; indeed only 1.6% of our genetic material - or DNA - differs from the DNA of our chimpanzee cousins. Five million years ago, the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees lived and died somewhere in Africa, and thus we share a common inheritance with the chimpanzee.